The Ghost of Lovers Lane
by MomsDarkSecret
Summary: Frank and Joe Hardy, while still in high school, look into a mystery involving a ghostly figure sighted on Lovers Lane and discover an attraction to each other along the way. Prequel to The Mystery of the Celibate Corpse.
1. Ghost Story

**Disclaimer**: The characters Frank and Joe Hardy, their parents Fenton and Laura Hardy, and their buddy Chet Morton are borrowed from the series of Hardy Boys books by Franklin W. Dixon.

**Warnings**: This story includes as a sub-plot an incestuous homosexual relationship between Frank and Joe Hardy. **Slash Warning**! While none of the scenes are particularly graphic or explicit, there's no mistaking what's going on. If these sorts of things make you uncomfortable, I strongly suggest you stop now and go read some other story.

**Summary**: Frank and Joe Hardy are high school students who moonlight as private investigators. When they look into a mystery involving a ghostly figure sighted on Lovers Lane, they discover more than just a haunting. This story is a prequel to **The Mystery of the Celibate Corpse**.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 1: **Ghost Story**

"Frank!" Lindsey said in that half-whining tone that really grated on his nerves. "Can't we just go?" She tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder with a petulant sigh. "I want to meet Marie and Karen at the mall."

"I wasn't planning to go to the mall," Frank replied. He was leaning against the driver's side door of his car, a restored 1967 Buick Skylark 4-door hardtop sedan, in the school parking lot. "Anyway, I told you I was going to wait for Joe after school today."

"Again?!" Lindsey huffed. She blew her breath out in a long-suffering sigh. "You treat your brother better than you treat me. I thought I was supposed to be your girlfriend."

Frank didn't answer that, because he wasn't completely sure why he was going out with Lindsey in the first place. He had asked her out mainly because some of his friends had kept bugging him about it. "I hear she puts out!" his buddy Chet had confided to him. Frank's disinterest in Lindsey had puzzled his friends, so rather than try to explain himself, he'd just asked her out. Then he had discovered that she had a thing for him and the one date had turned into an ongoing relationship. And while other boys might have appreciated the fact that Lindsey was easy, he really wasn't that interested in casual sex.

"Come on, Frank!" Lindsey whined again. "Let's go!"

"If you want to go to the mall, why don't you grab a ride with Karen?"

Lindsey gaped at him in offended shock. She clearly found it hard to imagine that he would simply turn her down in favor of his little brother. "Well, if you don't want to spend time with me," she fumed, "that's fine!" She jerked around dramatically and stamped away, flipping her hair over her shoulder with an angry gesture.

It was all for show, in Frank's opinion. She probably expected him to come running after her, apologize and offer to take her to the mall immediately. He let her walk away. "I should just dump her," he murmured. "She just gets in the way sometimes, anyway."

"Hey, Frank! Sorry I'm late!"

Frank smiled as Joe jogged up, the annoying exchange with Lindsey already forgotten. Anyone looking at the two of them would immediately recognize that Frank and Joe were brothers. Their faces had the same deep brown eyes and strong brows, with straight noses above shapely lips and triangular chins; although Joe's cheekbones were a little narrower and his eyes a little closer together. Where they differed was in their builds. While Frank was tall and broad-shouldered, with a trim waist and an athletic build, Joe's lithe body was slender and graceful, with narrow hips and long legs. He also stood two inches shorter than his brother.

"That's ok," Frank said. "I haven't been waiting long."

Joe looked around. "Weren't you going to give Lindsey a ride home?"

Frank shrugged. "She got tired of waiting. So you get to ride shotgun today."

"Cool!" Joe tossed his backpack into the back seat and hopped into the front passenger seat. "Man, I wouldn't mind stopping somewhere for a snack, but I've got a ton of homework."

"Already?" Frank started the car and backed out of the parking space. "The school year just started."

"Tell that to my teachers," Joe complained. "Mrs. Kubo actually said that junior year should be the hardest year because seniors always slack off."

Frank laughed. "She said the same thing when I had her. She'll ease back after the first few weeks. I think she just likes to break students in."

"Great!" Joe groaned sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

They chatted idly on the ride home. Frank never really thought about the fact that he preferred Joe's company to just about everyone. With just over a year difference between their ages, in many ways they were like twins. They were both extremely intelligent, with inquisitive minds and an attention for detail that they'd probably inherited from their dad. Fenton Hardy was a private investigator with a reputation for always getting to the bottom of things. Frank never minded when people compared him to his father. He was proud of his father. But when it came to Joe, nothing got between Frank and his brother.

When he turned into their driveway, Joe cringed. Visible through the open garage door, their father's plain gray sedan was parked next to their mother's champagne colored Lexus.

"Dad's home already," Joe said apprehensively. "I hope they're not fighting again."

"I wonder why he's here," Frank murmured. "I thought he was working on a case."

They entered the house, worried they would hear raised voices, but it was utterly quiet. Leaving their backpacks by the foot of the stairs, they went through into the kitchen. Their mother, Laura Hardy, was standing in front of the kitchen sink, a glass of wine in her hand, staring out the window.

"Hey, Mom," Frank called.

Laura turned around, her mouth crooked into a half smile. "Home from school already, boys? How was class?"

"Fine." Joe glanced around nervously. "Is Dad home? We saw his car."

"Oh, he's here." Laura turned around and looked back out the window. "I think he just came home to check up on me. I think he expects to catch me in bed with someone."

"Mom!" Joe exclaimed.

Laura laughed humorlessly. "Apologizing all the time gets tiring, you know," she said conversationally. "Eventually, you get to the point where you just don't care." She swallowed the rest of her wine. "I'm going shopping. We're out of milk." She walked out without looking at either of them.

Frank looked at Joe. His brother's eyes were bright with unshed tears. He had always been the more sensitive of the two of them and their parents' failing marriage was hitting him hard. Frank put his arm around Joe's shoulders. He wasn't sure what to say. Neither of them had suspected anything was going on when their mother started going to an exercise class every afternoon. But their father was a detective. It didn't take Fenton Hardy long to discover that his wife was having an affair with the instructor, an old high school boyfriend of hers. Fenton had confronted her and she'd ended the affair. But the damage was done. Fenton no longer trusted her and Laura didn't seem to care.

So when their parents weren't fighting, they weren't speaking to each other. Laura cooked dinner shortly after the boys got home from school and then retreated to her bedroom. When Fenton came home, he would pick at the dinner, drink heavily, and then retire to his study, where he would continue to drink until he passed out on the couch. Joe and Frank tended to avoid them both, doing their homework in their rooms and saying goodnight to each other in unhappy whispers.

"Why don't you go do your homework?" Frank finally said to Joe. "I'm going to look for Dad."

"Ok." Joe trudged heavily upstairs, dragging his backpack by the strap.

Frank frowned. It made him angry that his parents were falling apart in front of Joe and hurting him like this. They should be more concerned about his feelings. He went down the hall to his father's study and knocked on the door.

"What is it?"

Fenton's words sounded slurred and Frank's frown deepened. He opened the door and stepped in without waiting to be invited. Fenton was reclined on his ratty brown leather couch, his shoes kicked off and an arm thrown over his eyes. A nearly finished drink dangled in his free hand.

"I thought you had work," Frank snapped.

"Job's finished," Fenton mumbled. He lifted the glass to his lips and the fluid spilled down his chin onto his shirt. "Shit!" He sat up coughing, wiping the liquid off with his other hand. "Hand me that bottle, would you?" He pointed at a nearly empty bottle of bourbon sitting on his desk.

"No!" Frank growled. "You shouldn't be getting drunk every night like this!"

"Why not?" Fenton glared at him and pushed to his feet. He swayed over to the desk and refilled his glass. He took a deep swig, staggered back to the couch and flopped back down. "My life's a mess!"

"Because you let it become a mess!" Frank shouted. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He stamped up the stairs and found Joe standing in the doorway of his room, tears sliding down his cheeks. "Joe!" Frank cried softly. He put his arms around Joe and hugged him.

"Dad's drunk again, huh?" Joe's voice trembled as he spoke.

"Yeah."

"They're gonna get divorced, aren't they?" Joe was shaking and Frank held him tighter.

"Probably."

"This sucks."

"Yeah." Frank's phone vibrated in his pocket and he jumped. He pulled it out and looked at it. "It's Lindsey." The timing of the call irked him. He didn't want to talk to her when Joe needed him.

"You should answer it," Joe said, gently disengaging from Frank's embrace. When Frank hesitated, Joe reached out and tapped the answer button. "I've got homework," he mouthed and stepped back into his room.

Irritated, Frank put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"_Frank!_" Lindsey's voice carried that whiny timber even through the phone. "_Can you pick me up?_" She started to rattle on about some stupid fight she'd had with Karen and how she was now stuck at the mall with no way to get home.

Frank had to bite his tongue to keep from telling her to walk. He had no desire at all to listen to her right now. "Lindsey," he interrupted. "I'm busy right now. There's something going on at home and I can't leave. You'll have to call somebody else."

"_Frank!_" The fury in Lindsey's voice told him he would pay for his refusal later.

"I'm sorry, Lindsey. I have to go." He broke the connection and immediately turned off his phone. He would worry about Lindsey tomorrow. Right now, it looked like he was cooking dinner.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Did you have a fight with Lindsey?" Chet Morton, Frank's closest friend after his brother Joe, asked. "She's acting like she's not speaking to you."

They were sitting in the senior quad eating lunch. At a nearby table, Lindsey sat with several of her girlfriends, pointedly not looking at him.

"She's mad at me for not picking her up from the mall yesterday," Frank replied. He bit into his sandwich.

Chet stared at him. "And you haven't apologized yet?"

Frank finished chewing and shrugged. "Why does the guy always have to apologize? I was busy. She shouldn't even be mad about it."

"She's going to dump you," Chet warned.

"You say that like it would be a bad thing."

Chet goggled. "Are you kidding?! Lindsey's the hottest girl on campus! And the easiest! You must get it every day! How can you just casually give that up?!"

Frank laughed. "Chet, you live in a fantasy world! There's more to a relationship than sex, you know. Lindsey can be really whiny sometimes."

"Back up!" Chet held up a hand. "What do you mean there's more to a relationship than sex? I'd like to have any relationship that included sex!"

Frank threw his head back and laughed out loud. "Chet, you're going to make some girl a great husband one day!"

"Sure, so why can't I be some girl's half-assed boyfriend right now?" Chet dropped his chin into his hands and stared morosely at the remains of his lunch. "I'm going to end up the oldest virgin in Bayport."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." Chet sat up. "Oh, hey, I was going to tell you: yesterday, Corey Masters was telling me about doing it with Julie Devonshire up on Lovers Lane, except before he could stick it in, some ghost looked in the window of his car and scared him limp."

"What?"

"Yeah!" Chet nodded eagerly. "He said a ghostly face appeared outside the window of his car and looked right at him. He was so freaked out he couldn't do it."

Frank grew thoughtful. "Did Julie see it?"

"No." Chet laughed. "Apparently, she told everyone that Corey got cold feet. He's kind of mad, but he swore up and down that he did see a ghost."

"Where was he, exactly?"

"Near the two mile marker, he said. People don't usually drive in that far because you can't see the ocean as well from there, but he said all the good spots were already taken."

"That's interesting," Frank said. "Maybe I'll go up there and have a look around."

"You're not afraid of seeing a ghost?"

"I doubt it was a ghost."

"I don't know," Chet said doubtfully. "When he told me about it, a couple of other people admitted they saw a ghost up there, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Now I'm really curious," Frank said. "I'm definitely going up there." He glanced at Lindsey. "I guess I'll have to apologize. People will think I'm a freak if I go up to Lovers Lane alone."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

On Friday night, Frank took Lindsey to the movies, and afterward suggested they drive up to Lovers Lane for a little while. Lindsey agreed, but she pouted, too.

"I'm still mad at you for not picking me up from the mall the other day," she groused. She rolled the window down so she could rest her arm on the sill. Warm air, spiced with the salty scent of the ocean, flowed in, blowing her long hair across her face.

"I'm sorry," Frank said, "but I really was busy that day. We've got personal stuff going on at home and I didn't want to leave Joe there by himself."

"Joe's sixteen!" Lindsey exclaimed. "He's not a little kid!"

"He's sensitive," Frank replied shortly. "Anyway, like I said, it's personal stuff, so I'd rather not talk about it right now." He managed a warm smile. "I'd rather focus on us."

"Oh!" Lindsey wriggled in the seat and wrinkled her nose. "When you put it like that…" She giggled and brushed the hair over her shoulder to keep it from blowing in front of her face. "I was starting to think you were losing interest in me."

"Hardly," Frank replied, but he kept his eyes on the road as he said it. The truth was that he had little interest in her to lose. He just hadn't figured out how to dump her yet without becoming the center of a giant scene. For a moment, he imagined Joe in the seat beside him instead of Lindsey, and then he quickly pushed the thought away. Thinking about Joe going up to Lovers Lane with him sent a strange thrill running up his spine. He turned off the coast highway onto the unmarked gravel road known as Lovers Lane.

Its official name was Forestry Access Road No. 4, but everyone called the narrow track Lovers Lane, because after winding up the face of the cliff above the coast highway, it followed the edge for nearly three miles before plunging deeper into the thick coastal forest. Clearings wide enough to park a car along the edge of the road offered spectacular views of the ocean, and couples liked to enjoy the view while they enjoyed each other. It was late enough that there were already a lot of people up there, which gave Frank an excellent excuse to continue down the lane until he reached the second mile marker. The mile markers were head-sized stones painted white with a number painted on them in black. The road dipped a little way back from the cliff edge here, so the view wasn't quite as breathtaking, but it was still good. Just past the mile marker, an enormous old tree stood, its branches casting the ground below into deep shadow. No car was parked there, so Frank backed into the space in front of the tree's wide trunk.

As soon as he turned off the engine, Lindsey snuggled up against him. "It's so dark here!" she whispered excitedly. "I think I'm scared!"

Frank put an arm around her. "You know you're safe with me."

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Am I? But what's to stop you from taking advantage of me?"

Of course, that's exactly what she wanted to have happen, and it wouldn't be the first time. Frank pressed his lips to hers, telling himself it was not such a chore. But kissing Lindsey just didn't do anything for him. He would get excited when she started touching him, but it was not much more than a physiological reaction. Even the sight of her bare breasts didn't affect him much. But he would act like it did and he usually managed to satisfy her. But it was never that satisfying for him, even if he came.

With her breasts in his hands, he nuzzled her neck and Lindsey's head rolled to the side as she moaned with pleasure. And then she screamed.

Frank's head snapped up and he found himself staring directly into the dark eyes of a woman's pale face, her mouth moving as if she were speaking.

But he couldn't hear anything.

He reached for the door handle and Lindsey grabbed his wrist. "Don't!" she cried.

Frank shook her hand off and shoved the door open.

The woman vanished and Lindsey screamed again, burying her face against his arm. Frank just stared. There was no sign of anyone. There were no marks in the sandy ground outside the car door. He climbed over Lindsey, ignoring her protests, and stepped out. Then he reached back into the car to get a small LED flashlight out of the glove compartment.

"Frank, don't!" Lindsey cried again. "Let's get out of here!"

"I want to see who that was," Frank said, not really listening to her. He played the flashlight beam over the ground, sweeping it in slow, methodical arcs. There was nothing. No footprints; just the tracks of other car tires from previous couples. He walked to the tree and lit up the area behind it. Rough brush covered the ground several paces behind the tree, at the far edge of its canopy. He did not see any spots that looked trampled from recent passage. Pursing his lips, he walked slowly back to the car.

"Frank!" Lindsey shouted. She tumbled out of the car, buttoning her blouse over her refastened bra. "I want to go home right now!"

"Sure," Frank responded absently. He leaned past her to put the flashlight away. "Who do you think that was?"

"Who?!" Lindsey exclaimed. "Do you think I'm stupid? That was a fucking ghost!"

Frank looked at her face for the first time. Her cheeks were pale and she was shaking. She looked genuinely frightened. "You really think it was a ghost?"

"Are you making fun of me?!" she retorted angrily. She threw herself back into the car. "You're a jerk!" She grabbed the door handle and he had to jump out of the way to keep from getting hit when she yanked it closed. She slapped the lock button down and glared at him through the glass.

Frank sighed. He would definitely have to dump her after this. She really was nothing but a pain in the ass. He walked around to the driver's door and got in without a word. They drove back to Lindsey's house in complete silence. As soon as he pulled to a stop in front of her driveway, she jumped out without demanding a goodbye kiss. It was a telling sign. It meant she was really angry with him. He watched her storm up the driveway and enter the house before he pulled away.

When he got home, he went straight to Joe's room. Joe was lying on his bed on his stomach with his feet in the air. A textbook lay open on the bed in front of him.

"Hey, baby brother, how's the homework going?"

"Almost done." Joe stuck a bookmark in the textbook and closed it. "How was your date?"

Frank grimaced. "Hopefully, it was the last one. I'm going to dump her, if she doesn't dump me first."

Joe sat up. "Oh, really? It went that well, huh?"

Frank sat on the edge of his bed with a sigh. "I've just never gotten into this dating thing, I guess. I'd rather be looking into a mystery with you."

"Speaking of which," Joe said, "did you see anything up on Lovers Lane?"

"Sure did!" Frank grinned. "It might very well have been a ghost; a pale apparition appearing outside the car window and then suddenly disappearing."

"No kidding?" Joe grinned excitedly.

"Yup," Frank nodded. "It sure had Lindsey spooked. But I looked around and couldn't find any tracks or any sign that someone walked up to the car."

"We should go out there with a camera," Joe said, his face going thoughtful. "Maybe we could get a picture."

"That's a good place to start," Frank agreed. "Why don't we go there tomorrow and see if it happens again? I was unprepared tonight, but I'll plan better next time. We can use my phone camera. If we get a picture with that, we can try something fancier next time."

"Ok."

Frank patted Joe's knee. "Well, you better finish that reading." He stood up and hesitated. "Did you check on Dad?"

Joe made a face. "Yeah. He's passed out. Mom's watching TV in the bedroom."

Frank sighed. "Same routine, huh?"

"Yeah." Joe lay back down and opened his book. "It'll be good to go out tomorrow night. We won't have to think about them."

"I know what you mean. Good night, little brother."

"Sleep well, big brother."


	2. Makeout Session

_Warning: This chapter contains mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 2: **Make-out Session**

Saturday morning started with a fight. No blows were struck, but the verbal barbs left wounds just as painful. Joe sat on the edge of the bed with his hands over his ears, wishing it would all just go away. It ended with their father leaving the house, slamming his way out the door and gunning his car down the street at an unsafe speed. Joe half-expected to hear a collision before the sound of the engine faded. He looked up when his door opened and felt a little guilty when relief flooded him at the sight of Frank's face and not their mother's.

Frank came in and closed the door quietly. "I guess it goes without saying that you heard all that."

Joe nodded, his hands dropping into his lap. "Covering my ears doesn't help, but sticking my head under the pillow seemed even more childish."

Frank sat down next to him and took his hand. "I know what you mean."

"Do you know what set them off this time?"

"Dad asked Mom why she didn't make waffles for breakfast anymore." At Joe's surprised look, Frank scowled. "It wasn't as innocent as it sounds. His tone was really accusing, like she wasn't doing it on purpose. So Mom got mad and asked him why he never took out the trash anymore. It just escalated from there."

"Why do they keep doing this?" Joe asked sadly. "If they're not going to get counseling, maybe they _should_ get divorced. They're just ripping each other apart." He dug a toe into the carpet. "But I'm afraid to say anything, because what if asking makes them decide to do it?"

Frank slipped his arm around Joe's shoulders and pulled him close. Joe put his head on Frank's shoulder and Frank kissed the top of his head. "Try not to worry about it, little brother. It's out of our hands either way. But we have each other and that's what's important."

Joe didn't answer, but he put his arms around Frank's waist and hugged him. Being close with Frank like this always made him feel better. After a while, he sighed and sat up. "When do you want to go up to Lovers Lane?"

"After dark, but let's go early to make sure we get the spot we want. It's not a real popular location, and with all the ghost sightings I don't expect anyone to go there first, but let's not take any chances."

"Ok. I've got a little more homework to finish, so I'll do that after breakfast. Then we can stay out late if we need to and I can sleep in tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Frank patted Joe's thigh and went back to his room.

After a moment, Joe headed for the bathroom to take care of business and then went downstairs to get breakfast. Their mother was nowhere in sight, so Joe had a bowl of cereal before heading back upstairs to brush his teeth and finish his homework. It was near midday when he finished, so he parked in front of his computer to surf the web for a few hours.

"Joe?" His mother knocked on the open door.

"Yeah?" He swung around in his chair, trying to keep his face expressionless.

"I'm making sandwiches," she said. "Do you want turkey or roast beef?"

"Roast beef, please."

"Ok." She gave him her usual smile and went down the hall to ask Frank the same question.

Joe turned back to his computer. It seemed so normal. Before all the problems started, this had been their routine. If Joe and Frank were home on the weekend, their mother would make them sandwiches and lemonade. If it was cold, she'd make soup. But now it felt like they were all acting; performing their lives instead of living them. He felt tears stinging his eyes and pressed his fingertips against his eyelids.

When Laura went back downstairs, Frank came to Joe's room. "I've been thinking that maybe we should get up their before dark so we can look around. I looked around a bit with the flashlight last night, but it would be easy to miss something in the dark."

"That's a good idea."

"All right. Let's go after lunch then." Frank tilted his head toward the door. "Let's eat in the kitchen and tell Mom we're going out." He made a face. "We can get her to make us extra sandwiches and we'll take them with us for later."

"What if she thinks we're just making excuses so we don't have to be home for dinner?" The thought made Joe feel bad. Things were difficult enough for their mother already.

"Let her," Frank said shortly. "It's partly true, anyway."

Joe was surprised. For the most part, Frank had seemed to be handling the situation better than he was. At least he didn't cry the way Joe often did. But then he would say things like this and Joe was forced to realize that Frank was just as hurt as he was. He just showed it in different ways. "We should at least make the excuse plausible," Joe said quietly.

Frank bit his lip. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't be mean. We'll tell her we're looking into another mystery. It's true and, for us, completely normal. She may not think anything of it at all."

Joe smiled. "Thanks."

Later, when Frank told their mother that they were going out to look into something and would likely not be back until late, Joe was not surprised when she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she just smiled her old friendly smile and asked if they would need extra sandwiches for the excursion. As they sat at the breakfast bar munching on their lunch and watching her make the additional sandwiches, Joe realized something: they never discussed their investigations with their mother. Their conversations were always about school and whether or not they were dating. But if they started talking about whatever mystery they were currently trying to solve, Laura would just listen with the same nearly-blank look on her face. It shocked him to realize that he had never noticed before that her expression was one of complete disinterest. The passion which drove their father's career and consumed all of his and Frank's free time didn't excite her at all.

Without being asked, Laura packed the extra sandwiches in a cooler with some sodas. "You should call if you're going to be out after midnight."

"I don't think it will be that late," Frank replied.

"Well, have fun." She left the kitchen.

Frank picked up his plate and went around the bar to put it in the sink. "She acts like she's already moving out," he said.

Joe nodded. "It's like she doesn't really care about us anymore. She's just going through the motions." His chest felt tight and he wondered if he was going to start crying again.

"She cares," Frank replied softly. "I think she's just afraid to express it because it will make it too hard to leave."

"And she wants to leave," Joe concluded. He exchanged a long, sad look with Frank.

Frank sighed and picked up Joe's plate. "Let's go. I don't want to be here when Dad comes back."

"Right." Joe slipped off his stool. "I'll get our jackets."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

By daylight, the spot on Lovers Lane where Frank had seen the apparition didn't look haunted at all. The massive oak tree looked almost paternal, its huge canopy extending over an enormous swathe of ground. Frank parked in the same spot as before, managing to align almost directly on top of his previous tire tracks.

Before he got out, Joe rolled down the window and leaned out. "You got out of this side of the car, right?"

"Yeah, I climbed over Lindsey." He grinned. "She wasn't happy."

"I imagine not," Joe replied absently. He studied the ground outside the door. He recognized Frank's prints, and what were probably Lindsey's, immediately. And there were no other marks that he couldn't readily attribute to one of the two. "I don't see anything." He opened the door and climbed out.

Frank also exited the car, walking around the front to stand beside Joe. "I didn't either when I looked last night. I even checked around in back of the tree. The brush doesn't look trampled at all." He went over to the massive tree trunk. "See? I don't even think anybody's taken a piss back here."

Joe joined him. "You're right." He walked in back of the tree, where decades of fallen leaves and intense shade had killed all but the hardiest weeds, and kicked at the tangle of shrubbery growing beyond the shelter of the tree's branches. "Nothing's been through here." He looked back. His tracks in the leaf mould stood out plainly. "If it was a living person who looked in your window, she had to have come down the road."

Frank nodded and tipped his head back toward the road. "Let's check."

They walked back to the road and split up. Frank walked up the lane toward the coast highway and Joe went the other way, plunging deeper into the forest. The forest, a mixture of conifers and broadleaf trees, was cool and quiet. Almost immediately, the faint sound of cars on the coast highway was lost as he walked slowly along the gravel track, studying the ground carefully along the right-hand side of the road. After about five hundred paces, he started back, walking along the opposite of the road. He returned to find Frank waiting for him leaning against the front fender of his car.

"Anything?" Frank asked.

Joe shook his head. "Nope. Nothing. No one's walked on that road recently that I could see. What about the other way?"

"Same thing." Frank replied. "We've got some time to kill until nightfall."

"That's why I brought my backpack," Joe said with a grin. "I can get ahead on my reading."

Frank made a face. "Good thinking. I should have brought mine."

"Look in the back," Joe said, his grin widening.

Frank opened the rear door on the driver's side and looked in. "When did you put this in here?" he exclaimed. He leaned in and grabbed his backpack, which Joe had stuffed behind the driver's seat.

"I got it when you went back upstairs to get your phone. Remember, you left it at the bottom of the stairs last night."

"That's right." Frank grinned. "Thanks!"

They got back in the car and dug out their textbooks, settling back to read until it got too dark to see. But once the sun started to set, it got dark fast. Sitting in the darkened car in the deep shadows under the tree, Joe tapped his fingers on his knee. "Now this place is starting to look haunted."

"It is kind of spooky," Frank agreed. "Of course, that's what makes it romantic. People tend to want to snuggle together when they're frightened." He twisted around and leaned over the back seat to get the cooler. "Ready for a sandwich?"

"Yeah."

They sat in the car without speaking, eating their sandwiches and watching the darkness around them. Although they occasionally saw the reflection of headlights from other cars driving along the road, no one drove down as far as they were.

At 10:30pm, Frank sighed in irritation. "I don't think anything's going to happen," he said. "It was much earlier than this when I saw the ghost yesterday."

"Maybe the ghost doesn't appear every day," Joe said.

"Maybe." Frank started the car. "We should ask around at school on Monday and see if we can get a feel for when people tend to see this thing."

"Ok."

They passed a dozen or so cars parked along the cliff side of the road, facing toward the magnificent ocean view, as they returned to the highway. But Joe doubted any of the cars' occupants were looking at the view. They had come up here with other plans in mind. Thinking about that gave him the seed of an idea.

"I really hoped we would see something tonight," Frank finally said, frustrated.

"Maybe it's because we weren't doing anything." Joe answered thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, most people go up there to make out. You were making out when you saw the apparition." Joe shrugged. "Maybe the ghost is attracted to the action."

"That's a possibility." Frank pursed his lips, and then he chuckled. "But I don't think I'm going to get Lindsey to hang her tits out for me again after what happened last time."

Joe shook his head with a faint smile. "Don't look at me. I'm not on make-out terms with any of the girls I know."

"That's a surprise," Frank teased. "With your hot bod, I'd have expected the girls to be crawling all over you."

"Hah, hah," Joe grunted in sarcastic amusement. "Anyway, having someone else there would just be a distraction. We should make out with each other. It might work if we make it convincing."

"Are you coming on to me, baby brother?" Frank said it like a joke, but there was a faintly forced quality to the amusement in his voice.

Joe glanced at him curiously. "I'm serious. I want to see this ghost. If we gotta make out to do it, then I think we should."

Frank looked at him. His expression seemed a little odd, but after a moment, he nodded. "Ok, we'll try it. We'll have to wait until Friday night, though. I'm not letting you stay up late on a school night."

"Geez, you're worse than Mom!" Mentioning their mother brought a twinge of sadness and Joe fell silent.

They drove the rest of the way home in silence, but when they pulled up in front of the house, Frank turned to Joe. "Let's keep this investigation to ourselves, ok? I don't want Dad deciding to get involved."

"Sure." Joe didn't have to think about his answer. Right now, he didn't want to spend time with either of their parents.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The following Friday, Frank had to make dinner. Fenton was working a new job, he claimed, that required him to be out all night. Joe wondered if that was really true, or if their dad was just making an excuse to not come home. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Their mother wasn't there either. She went out shortly after they got home from school, saying she was going to visit a sick friend and would be out late. Joe hoped it was true, because it was such a cliché of an excuse, but he doubted it. It was obvious Frank didn't believe it. He prepared their dinner of fried chicken and green salad in angry silence, only speaking if Joe spoke to him. It wasn't until they left the house, shortly after nightfall, that Frank finally relaxed.

"I'm sorry I've been acting weird," Frank said as he drove down to the highway. "I guess this stuff with Mom is really bothering me."

Joe drew a deep breath. "I wish she wouldn't lie. Or that she could at least lie better. I don't want to know if she's cheating on Dad again."

"Me neither." Frank turned onto the highway and sped up. They caught up with another car after only a short distance and ended up following it onto Lovers Lane. The other driver was unduly cautious and it took a while to reach the top. "Newbie," Frank muttered. Fortunately, the other driver stopped at the first available space and they quickly passed him. When they arrived at the oak tree, they were relieved to find the spot empty and backed in.

At school during the week, Joe had asked around and learned that the only place anyone reported seeing the apparition of a woman was under the oak tree. Interestingly, she was only seen by people inside the car, looking at them through the window. If the couple got out of the car first and sat on the roof to get a better view of the ocean and enjoy cooler air when it was hot, they never saw anything. But what he found the most interesting was that the sightings had only just started over the summer. No one could remember seeing or hearing about a ghostly apparition in the area before then.

When Frank turned off the engine, he turned to Joe with a faint frown. "I don't know if making out to get the ghost's attention is such a good idea," he said. "We don't really know if that's what causes it to appear."

"But it seems like a reasonable assumption," Joe replied. He faced Frank, pulling his knee up onto the bench seat. "You're right that nothing may happen, but nothing happened last time when we just sat here. So let's try it. It can't hurt."

Frank pursed his lips and thought for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He took his phone out of his pocket and slid closer to Joe. "But no laughing if you don't like my technique."

Joe smiled. "As long as you don't say anything about how clumsy I am. Remember, I've never made out with anyone before."

Frank put his right arm around Joe's shoulders. "So I get your first kiss, do I? I'm honored." He leaned close and kissed Joe warmly on the mouth. In truth, it wasn't the first time they'd kissed. They were brothers after all. They'd exchanged small kisses dozens of times. But those had all been brotherly kisses, not the passionate kisses of lovers. This time, Joe immediately sensed a difference in the way Frank's mouth moved against his. His lips pressed firmly against Joe's, moving up and down in a gentle massaging motion that sent a warm thrill down his spine. Then Frank's tongue brushed against his lips and Joe shivered. The soft stroking of Frank's tongue was loving and insistent at the same time. It made Joe want to open his mouth, so he did. Right away, Frank's tongue slid between his lips, brushing against Joe's tongue in a long sensuous stroke that he felt all the way to his loins.

Joe put his arms around Frank and leaned into the kiss. His body was getting warm and he was suddenly aware of the growing hardness in his trousers. The kiss was turning him on. For a moment, Joe almost pulled away. Making out with his brother should not be exciting him like this, but it was. And even as he realized it, he realized that he didn't want to stop. That sweet, passionate kiss felt exactly the way he imagined a kiss should feel. The only time he'd tried to kiss a girl like this, it had felt awkward and uncomfortable. Now, he opened his mouth wider and sucked Frank's tongue between his lips, stroking it eagerly with his own tongue. There was no awkwardness about what he was doing; it felt completely right. He closed his eyes and melted into the pleasure of that intimate contact.

He almost forgot why they were there.

Then Frank stiffened in his embrace and Joe opened his eyes. Frank was staring at the window and Joe looked over his shoulder. Just on the other side of the glass, a woman's pale face stared back at him, her eyes hidden in pools of shadow. Her mouth moved, but Joe couldn't make out the words.

Without looking down, Frank activated the camera on his phone. "Open the window," he whispered. Joe could just reach the window crank and he turned it slowly, lowering the window. The woman didn't move. Frank quickly raised his phone and took her picture. The phone's glow was brilliant in the darkness and they were momentarily blinded.

Joe blinked several times to clear his vision. The window was empty. "She's gone."

"Yeah," Frank said. "But I couldn't tell if she disappeared before or after I took the picture, though." He turned on the cabin light to illuminate his phone so they could look at the picture. The window frame stood out in sharp relief and centered within it was a fuzzy white blob, with darker patches that gave a suggestion of a face.

"Wow," Joe said. "We need a comparison." He got out of the car, closed the door and leaned over so his face was about where the woman's face had been.

Frank turned off the cabin light and snapped his picture. Then he turned the light back on and stared at the image for a moment before turning the phone so Joe could see it. Joe's face stood out clearly inside the frame of the window.

"I'll be damned!" Joe exclaimed softly. "It really is a ghost!"

-o-o-o-

Joe was jazzed about seeing the ghost and he chattered excitedly as they left Lovers Lane and drove home. Frank didn't say much and, thankfully, Joe didn't seem to notice. Because Frank could not stop thinking about the kiss they'd shared. From the moment his lips had touched Joe's, he hadn't wanted to stop. He could still feel the warm pressure of Joe's lips against his; could still taste Joe's tongue in his mouth. His body ached in a way it never had when he had embraced Lindsey, even when her naked body was under his and open to his hard lust. That single kiss had awakened a desire in him that he hadn't even known he could feel.

Frank felt sick to his stomach. He wanted his little brother.

He looked at Joe out of the corner of his eye and wondered if he knew. Had Joe been able to tell how aroused he was? Frank felt like a pervert. He shouldn't be having feelings like this for his brother, but he couldn't push the hunger away. He couldn't pretend that his cock wasn't rock hard and aching at the memory of holding and kissing Joe.

He thought about all the time they spent together, wondering how long he'd felt this way. He'd always preferred Joe's company. Ever since they were children, he'd always wanted to hang around with Joe, and Joe had always wanted to be with him. But that close attachment was suspect now. It wasn't a pure fraternal love anymore. Frank almost felt like crying. He didn't want to lose the closeness he shared with Joe, but how could it be the same when he was hiding these dark, incestuous feelings?

He needed to say something, but he had no idea what. When he pulled up in front of their house, he turned to Joe, groping for something to say.

"I got turned on, too," Joe said without looking at him.

Frank stared with his mouth open.

"I've been talking about everything but that and you haven't been talking at all," Joe continued after a moment. He looked at Frank. "But we can't pretend we didn't react. Kissing you felt good."

Frank swallowed. "Yeah, it did." He smiled crookedly. "I should have realized you knew what I was feeling."

Joe smirked. "Yeah, you should have." He looked down at his hands, clasped together in his lap. "I don't think we should get too worked up about it. You're a good kisser, that's all."

"So are you, as it turns out," Frank responded.

"Well, I guess that means I'll be ready when I finally get a girlfriend." Joe lifted his eyebrows at Frank and climbed out of the car.

Frank stared after him for a moment and then got out, too. They lugged their backpacks and the cooler back into the house, after having to unlock the front door.

"Do you suppose anyone's home?" Joe wondered aloud.

"I'll check," Frank replied. He went to the garage door, but he knew what he was going to find without looking in. The door to the garage was still locked. He opened it anyway to confirm that there were no cars inside. He went back to the kitchen. "No one's home," he reported, dismay pushing his concern about his feelings for Joe out of his mind.

Joe's face fell. "I hope Dad's not out somewhere getting drunk. A DUI could ruin his career."

Frank nodded. "I hope so, too." He wondered if Joe didn't mention their mother for the same reason that Frank didn't want to think about her. Instinctively, he slid his arm around Joe's shoulders. "Let's go download that image from my phone. I want to get a closer look at it."

"Ok." Joe brightened a little bit. "And I want to look up night vision cameras. Maybe we could get a better image with one of those."

"That sounds like a good idea. I hope they're not too expensive."

"Dad probably has one."

Frank made a face. "But I don't want to ask him." He squeezed Joe's shoulders and released him. "But let's not worry about it right now. Research first, equipment later."

"Right."


	3. Investigative Techniques

**_Warning_**_: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 3: **Investigative Techniques**

Both of their parents were home in the morning, acting like nothing had happened. Frank didn't believe it, of course, and the deception was irritating more than anything else. He and Joe were nearly adults. He didn't appreciate their parents hiding things from them as if they were still little kids. So he ignored them.

After grabbing a couple of bagels from the kitchen, he returned to his room to work on the picture he'd downloaded from his phone the night before. They had ended up doing nothing Friday night, despite talking about it when they got back. Frank had felt uncomfortable spending more time with Joe right then, with his body still aching from the memory of making out with him. So he'd sent Joe off to bed and only downloaded the picture from his phone before crawling into bed himself. Now, with a bagel in one hand, he brought the image up in Photoshop to see if he could do anything with it. He'd been at it for nearly an hour when Joe poked his head in.

"How's it going? Making any progress?"

"No!" Frank grumbled. He sat back and gestured at the screen in annoyance. "There's just nothing there to work with. There really is nothing but a fuzzy blob right there. I can't clarify it at all, no matter what I do."

"Wow." Joe came in and leaned over Frank's shoulder. He had showered and the clean scent of his body sent a faint thrill running through Frank. "Maybe something with a greater depth of field might have better luck."

"Maybe."

Joe moved away and flopped down on Frank's bed. "I was thinking while I was in the shower that a night vision camera probably wouldn't help. As close as that face is, the flash from any ordinary camera is going to light it adequately. So I was thinking that high speed film might work, especially if we could get several shots at different focus depths."

Frank chewed his lip. "That could work if it doesn't disappear as soon as the flash goes off."

"True, but we don't know how fast it vanishes. If we're using really fast film, we might get off three or four shots before it disappears."

"But that's not going to give us time to change the focus."

"Auto-focus," Joe replied. "I think I can rig it to start dialing in the focus as soon as it starts shooting. We can use a video camera rather than a still camera."

Frank turned around in his chair and nodded thoughtfully. "That's good. But maybe we should stick with night vision. Then we don't need to light the scene at all and the ghost shouldn't vanish right away."

"I like that." Joe nodded in agreement. "And you know what? I'm pretty sure Dad has exactly the camera we need. I remember him talking about it on that surveillance job he did last year."

Frank made a face. "You mean the one he was doing when he found out Mom was sleeping with her aerobics instructor?"

Joe flinched. "Yeah, that one."

"The camera's probably at the office," Frank said. "We'd have to ask him if we want to use it."

"So let's ask," Joe replied with a shrug. "We don't have to tell him why we want it."

"Do you think he'd just give it to us?"

"Why not?" Joe stood up. "If he starts questioning me, I'll start crying and say he doesn't trust me, just like Mom. He'll feel guilty and fork it right over."

Frank stared. "You'd just… manipulate Dad like that?"

Joe scowled. "Maybe it will jolt him into getting his shit together." He started for the door. "I'm going to get some breakfast. Want anything?"

"No, thanks, I had a couple of bagels already."

"Ok."

Joe left and Frank stared after him, frowning. Normally, Joe was just too nice a person to even consider doing something like he suggested to their dad. Obviously, the poisonous atmosphere generated by their parents' imploding marriage was starting to affect him in a negative way. Frank was going to have to say something to them. Things just couldn't go on as they were. He turned back to the ghostly image on his computer screen. "After Joe gets the camera, anyway," he concluded softly.

As it turned out, Joe did not have to do anything other than ask to get the camera. Fenton was too tired and hung-over to even ask why they wanted it. He sighed and said he'd bring it home from work on Monday.

Joe and Frank were in the kitchen making dinner Monday night when Fenton lugged the camera into the house and plopped the box on the kitchen table. He rapped it with his knuckles. "You know this is expensive, right? It can stand a little abuse, but try not to drop it, ok?"

"Of course, Dad!" Joe said. "We know how to handle professional equipment."

"Good." Fenton put his hands on his hips and regarded the two boys with a haggard expression. "Making dinner?"

"Yeah," Frank answered shortly.

"Your mother's not home?"

"She's upstairs lying down," Frank replied. "She said she has a bad headache."

"Ah." Fenton looked down. "I guess we've made it kind of rough on you boys."

"Understatement, Dad," Frank snorted.

Fenton flinched, but did not look up. "I always thought I could handle anything; any situation," he said quietly, "but this thing blindsided me. I'm way over my head and sinking."

Frank swept the radishes he was chopping into the salad bowl with the lettuce and frowned at him. "Then quit fighting the current. If you can't save the marriage, end it." Fenton's head snapped up, a look of shock on his face. Joe also turned a shocked and unhappy look on Frank, but Frank didn't back down. "You and Mom need counseling, but you haven't even talked about going. If you wanted to save the marriage, that's the first thing you should have done. Do you still love her?"

Fenton took a half-step back, as if Frank's harsh words were applying physical pressure. "Of course," he said, but his tone was not convincing.

"Then ask her to go to counseling with you," Frank responded. "If she refuses, then you'll know where you stand." Fenton hesitated and Frank glared at him. "Or do you not want to know?"

Fenton turned away, his shoulders hunched. "You don't understand," he said, anger seeping into his tone. "I've been a good husband, a good provider. I never gave her any reason to do what she did. She apologizes all the time, but does she sound sorry to you? She's sorry she got caught! She doesn't care that she hurt me!" His fists clenched and abruptly he stormed out of the room. A moment later, the door to his study slammed.

Frank sighed. "I'm sorry, Joe. I guess I shouldn't have said anything."

Joe sighed, too. "No, you were right to suggest counseling. And his answer pretty much says everything. It sounds like he's pretty sure she wants out."

"Yeah." Frank nodded slowly. He put down the salad bowl and put his arms around Joe. Joe wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his head on Frank's shoulder. It felt so good to hold him that Frank just stood there, savoring the contact. It hurt to think that their parents were probably going to get divorced, but the only thing that would truly wound Frank would be to lose Joe. As long as he had his brother, he could get through anything. "At least he didn't ask why we wanted the camera," he said after a moment.

"True," Joe said. He lifted his head and smiled. "And if he gets bombed, he may not remember he gave it to us tomorrow. I'll stick it in my closet tonight."

"Good plan." Frank turned back to the dinner preparations. "Should we bother asking Mom if she's going to join us?"

Joe shook his head. "If she wants to eat, she'll come down." He slipped the pork chops he'd been preparing into the frying pan. "Keep on eye on these, would you? I'm going to take the camera upstairs."

"Ok."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The rest of the school week was uneventful. Lindsey still refused to speak to Frank, although she was apparently saying things to her friends to make it sound like he was less than a stellar boyfriend. Under ordinary circumstances, Frank would probably have been offended by that. In his opinion, he had treated Lindsey far better than she deserved, given that she'd been with at least a dozen guys before him, and in all likelihood had already entertained herself with someone else in the two weeks since they'd stopped speaking to each other. But with a case to investigate, Frank really didn't care. Lindsey had been a diversion at best and a pain in the ass the rest of the time.

Late Friday afternoon, he and Joe got the camera and set off for Lovers Lane. Their father was still at work and their mother was nowhere to be seen, so they just left a note saying they were going out and would be home before midnight. Joe didn't look happy, but once they were crunching through the gravel toward their parking spot, he brightened up.

"I checked out the camera after school yesterday, while you were at the library, to make sure I understood how to use it," he said. "It's pretty easy. I like these digital cameras with flash memory. The setup is so much simpler."

"It certainly makes investigative work easier," Frank agreed. "Being able to check your images right away without having to go through the trouble of developing film saves a lot of time and effort."

"And yet, Dad charges no less for his work than he did twenty years ago, before all this was invented," Joe chuckled.

"Equipment costs more," Frank replied, but he laughed, too. It was nice to be bantering casually with Joe again. This was how it should be. They arrived at the big oak tree and he backed in underneath its wide canopy. Once again, no one else was close by. Stories about the ghost had everyone spooked and they were avoiding the location where it had been seen. That suited Frank just fine. He didn't need anyone around watching them, considering what they were going to have to do to get the ghost to appear.

He watched while Joe set the camera up carefully on the dashboard, orienting it so that it pointed out the window. They had agreed that they would probably need to make out again to get the ghost to materialize, but they had not really talked about the implications. Frank felt a twinge of worry. What if his lust came back? He hadn't forgotten how aroused kissing Joe had made him, and Joe had acknowledged feeling the same thing. If it happened again, Frank would not be able to pretend it was just an aberration.

"Step outside, would you?" Joe asked, his eyes intent on the camera. "I want to make sure I've got this angled right."

"Sure."

Frank slipped out of the car and went around to the passenger side window. Joe rolled it down and Frank leaned on the sill, putting his face about where the ghost's had been.

"That's good," Joe murmured. Frank watched him as he worked. Joe's slim fingers manipulated the camera's controls with professional ease. He was good with equipment and electronics, and Frank usually left such things to him. Frank's strength was research and problem-solving, so he usually took on that aspect of their cases. Together, they made a very good team; their strengths complementing each other. "All right," Joe said finally. "I think that's it." He sat back and smiled at Frank. "Now there's nothing left except to wait for nightfall and start kissing." He grinned as he said it, so Frank couldn't tell if Joe was as nervous about it as he was. Frank suspected he was. He doubted Joe was any more comfortable with the idea of a physical attraction between them than he was.

"We shouldn't have to wait too long," Frank said to hide his discomfort. "It's already starting to get dark." He walked back around the car and slid back into the driver's seat.

They waited in silence as the sun sank into the forest behind them and they were cast into deepening shadow. It was quiet and they could hear the scrunch of car tires as other couples arrived for the evening.

When it was full dark, Frank turned to Joe. "Well, I suppose we should get started. It wasn't very late the last time we saw it."

"All right," Joe said. He reached out and pressed the camera's record button.

Frank was glad it was dark. Although they could see each other well enough, it was too dark to really see Joe's expression. Frank wasn't sure what he would do if he saw eagerness in Joe's eyes. Trying to make it feel casual, he slid into the middle of the seat and pulled Joe into his arms. It felt so natural that Frank experienced a moment of panic. Then Joe's lips touched his and he stopped thinking.

It was right. That was the only impression Frank had as desire suffused him, and he pressed Joe back against the seat, kissing him eagerly. Joe parted his lips and Frank pushed his tongue in, caressing Joe's tongue slowly and sensuously. It felt so good! Frank tightened his embrace and kissed more deeply, completely turned on by the way Joe responded to his touch. Frank slid his hand under the back of Joe's t-shirt. The skin was warm and soft over the firm muscles of his back and Frank caressed him gently, loving the smooth feel. He slid his hand up Joe's side to his rib cage, and then around in front to his chest, pushing his shirt up. Joe's nipple felt hot under his palm and Frank caught the nub with his fingertips, twisting and teasing it.

Joe moaned against his lips.

A tiny part of Frank's mind was ringing alarm bells, flashing warning signs that what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. He could not stop touching Joe's deliciously warm skin, could not stop kissing his soft lips. Nothing in his life had felt more natural.

A faint noise made him open his eyes and a pale light caught at his peripheral vision. Turning his head slightly, he saw the misty, translucent apparition hovering just outside the open window.

He stopped kissing and moved his lips next to Joe's ear. "It's here," he whispered.

"Don't stop," Joe whispered back breathlessly. "Let's get more footage."

Frank felt profoundly guilty. The ghost was here. They had no idea if it would stay or leave if they stopped. But he obeyed Joe's whispered instructions with helpless eagerness. He didn't want to stop. He captured Joe's mouth again and put his other hand under Joe's shirt, pushing it up completely and exposing Joe's chest. He caressed Joe's nipples with both hands while he explored the inside of Joe's mouth with his tongue. He was so hard now that passion completely took over. His hands moved without his conscious control, sliding down Joe's flat belly to his jeans. He pressed the palm of his left hand against the front of Joe's trousers and felt Joe's erection. Joe groaned at the touch and lifted his hips, pressing his erection into Frank's hand.

Joe was not wearing a belt. Just that slight impediment might have stopped Frank, but it wasn't there. With a flick of his fingers, he popped open the button of Joe's jeans and pushed the zipper down. The thin material of Joe's boxers allowed Frank to clasp him and he gripped Joe tightly.

"Ah!" Joe gasped. His head fell back and Frank pushed him down onto the bench seat, nuzzling his neck and pulling firmly on his warm erection. With his other hand, he caught the waistband of Joe's jeans and pulled them down. They slipped over Joe's slender hips easily, exposing his red checkered boxers and his slim, firm thighs.

A thunderous bang on top of the car made it bounce on its tires. Frank was thrown against the dashboard and the camera fell on his back. Joe stuck out a hand and caught it before it fell under the steering wheel onto the hard floorboards.

"What the hell was that?!" Frank exclaimed. Then he looked at Joe's disarrayed clothing and flushed with horror. "J… Joe…" he stammered.

Joe dropped the camera on the seat and yanked his jeans up. "Later!" he said and scrambled out of the car. After a moment's hesitation, Frank followed him out.

There was no sign of the ghost.

Frank examined the roof of the car with his flashlight. There was nothing. No dent; no scratches; not even a discoloration in the paint. "What the hell?" he murmured.

Joe sat down inside the open passenger door and picked up the camera. "Let's play it back," he said. He tapped at the menus and started the playback, then turned in the seat so they could both watch.

For several minutes, nothing happened and the only sounds to be heard were of them kissing. Frank cringed as he listened to the sound of Joe's moans. Even coming from the camera, those aroused sighs and gasps excited him. Then the misty face of the ghost appeared, followed by their whispered conversation, picked up clearly by the camera's microphone. The glowing apparition remained while the sounds of their lovemaking escalated, the shadowy image of its mouth appearing to move.

Even though they were expecting it, the loud bang made them both jump, and the image in the camera tumbled as it recorded falling off the dashboard. For a brief instant, Joe's half-undressed body could be seen, but that was not what made Frank grip Joe's shoulder in surprise.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah." Joe rewound the video and paused.

In the instant before the camera fell off the dashboard, at the precise moment that the bang rattled the car, the ghost's face suddenly became crystal clear.

The pale face of a crying woman was staring directly into the camera.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"This is crazy," Joe said as he played the section of video back frame by frame. "In this frame, there's nothing but a fuzzy blob. In the very next frame, it's clear as a bell. And look at the audio. The sound spikes on the same frame. The ghost hit the car."

"She fell on it," Frank said.

He was staring out the windshield, very pointedly not looking at Joe. Joe could understand that. Ten minutes ago, he'd been on the verge of jerking Joe off. And Joe had wanted him to. Truth be told, he almost wished the ghost had waited just a few moments longer, so he could have climaxed. Now all he could do was simmer in frustration and pretend that he didn't want to pick up where they'd left off. But Frank looked pretty upset about it, so Joe said nothing and focused instead on the video.

"You think she fell?"

"Yeah." Frank ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm starting to get the feeling that she died here. I think she saw someone making out in a car parked right here, was upset about it, and hung herself from that tree."

"And then fell on the car."

Frank nodded. "But who was she? And who was she watching?"

Joe studied the face in the video. "She doesn't look like a teenager. She looks older." He held the camera out so Frank could look.

"I think you're right. She looks like she might be in her late twenties or early thirties." His brow wrinkled in thought. "You know, this picture is good enough that we might be able to figure out who she is. The ghost sightings only started this summer. We can check the obituaries in the newspaper archives."

"That's a good idea," Joe said. "And if we don't find anything there, we can ask the sheriff about unsolved homicides and missing persons."

"Right." Frank started the car. "Let's get back to the house. I assume you can pull a still off that video."

"Of course."

"Good. We can make a couple of printouts if we end up going to the sheriff."

They drove back to the house in silence. Joe hadn't bothered to roll up his window, so the cool night air blew across his arm where it rested on the sill. Too bad it couldn't reach his crotch. His dick was still hard. He wondered if it was just teenage hormones that made him more frustrated about not getting to come than he was upset about the fact that it was his brother who had been jerking him off. To be honest, he didn't think it was all that unusual for an older brother to introduce a younger one to the post-puberty joy of his favorite body part. But he was not going to lie to himself. There was more to the way he'd responded to Frank's caresses than simple teenage horniness. For one thing, getting his nipples teased had really turned him on. They still tingled whenever he thought about the way Frank's fingers had twisted and tugged them. It had felt really, really good. And knowing how soft Frank's tongue was from its sojourn in his mouth, he suspected it would feel really good if Frank licked his tits.

Joe closed his eyes and suppressed a moan. He should not be thinking about this. It was just making his hard-on worse.

He was relieved when they got back to the house. He went straight up to his room with the camera and plugged it into a USB port on his computer so he could pull off the video. He had some software that he used for amateur movie making that would work really well for getting the still they wanted.

"Joe." Frank's voice from the doorway behind him sounded heavy and resigned.

Joe shuddered. It was obvious he wanted to talk about what happened. Steeling himself, Joe turned away from the computer screen and met his eyes. "Yes?"

"We should talk about this," Frank said. He entered the room and closed the door, then leaned against it with his arms crossed. "Two times now we've kissed and it's… gotten out of hand. I think…" he hesitated and his eyes flicked away from Joe's face. "I think my feelings for you… might be…" he fumbled for words and his face got red, "inappropriate."

"You didn't do that much…" Joe started.

"I wanted to fuck you!" Frank interrupted angrily, but it was obvious he was angry with himself, not Joe. "I was taking your pants off…" He began to shake and he dropped his arms, his fists clenching at his sides. "That's not normal."

It hurt watching Frank beating himself up. Joe stood up and crossed to him quickly, gripping Frank by the shoulders. "I did nothing to stop you," he said. "If wanting to do it isn't normal, letting you do it isn't normal either."

Frank looked up and they stared at each other silently. Then Frank grabbed Joe in his arms and kissed him desperately. Heat flared up in Joe in an instant and he responded without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around Frank's neck and kissed back hard, rubbing his body against Frank's.

"We can't!" Frank gasped against his mouth, but his urgent, passionate kisses were in complete opposition to the statement.

Joe pulled back just long enough to yank his t-shirt off over his head. Then he wrapped his arms around Frank again and lost himself in a delirium of passion. He really couldn't think anymore. Lust had taken control of him and the only thing that was going to satisfy it was Frank. When Frank abruptly picked him up, Joe just wrapped his legs around Frank's hips so he could be carried to the bed. They collapsed on the bed all tangled together, with Frank on top.

"We shouldn't do this, Joe!" Frank moaned, but even as he said it, he was unzipping Joe's jeans and pushing them down.

"I don't care!" Joe gasped back. He was going crazy with need. His cock had never been so hard. He kicked off his shoes so Frank could get his jeans off and pushed his boxers down himself. He was already leaking, he was so close to coming. "Please!" he groaned and spread his legs, offering himself to Frank.

"Joe!" Frank whispered. His face was flushed with desire, anguish and shame. He shook his head slowly, trying desperately to hold himself back, and then something inside him gave way. He gasped and fell between Joe's legs, yanking open his pants and pulling out his rock-hard erection. He pushed into Joe, not in a single hard thrust, but with steady, relentless pressure.

Joe clutched at him spasmodically. The pain of entry caught him off guard, but it did nothing to lessen the burning arousal that was scorching his veins. It hurt, but the further Frank got into him, the better it felt. The pressure and sense of fullness blended with the desire he was already feeling and he relaxed, opening up and accepting Frank more easily. And as soon as he did, Frank thrust into him hard.

"Ah!" Joe cried. "Yes! Do it! Harder!"

Frank fucked him hard, banging against his bottom wildly, and Joe lost his mind. It was insanely wonderful and the most fulfilling thing he'd ever done. He clung to Frank, gasping with joy even though his ass hurt. The pleasure that went crashing through him each time Frank's cock rammed home was ecstasy itself. He came twice, drenching himself in cum, before he was satisfied. He knew Frank came with him the second time, because Frank cried out and shook in his arms.

Afterward, they just lay there, gasping for breath and waiting for their heartbeats to slow to something more akin to normal.

"Did I hurt you?" Frank asked finally without lifting his head. Joe suspected he was afraid to look at him.

"Not really." Joe shifted slightly. "I'm a little sore, and it may really hurt in the morning, but I don't think it's anything serious." He thought for a moment. He knew a little bit about how men had sex with each other and they had not prepared themselves at all for this. "What about you? Any friction burns?"

Frank burst out laughing. He lifted his head and grinned at Joe. "This is nuts! I just fucked my little brother and he wants to know if I skinned my cock on his ass!"

Joe grinned back. "It's a reasonable question. We didn't lubricate."

Frank propped himself up on one elbow and stroked the fingers of his other hand through Joe's hair. "We're too analytical," he said. "We should be freaking out right now, not matter-of-factly discussing the mechanics of gay fucking."

Joe shrugged. "This is who we are." He studied Frank's face. "Are you sorry?"

Frank pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "No," he said, shaking his head. "I've always liked you better than everyone. I guess it makes sense that I'd want you more than anyone."

Joe nodded. "That's how I feel, too." He kissed Frank on the chin. "Are you going to sleep in here tonight?"

"Yeah." Frank pulled out and rolled onto his back. "But I don't think we should fuck again." He touched himself gingerly. "I think I'm kind of raw."


	4. Brotherly Love

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 4: **Brotherly Love**

Waking up in Joe's bed Saturday morning wearing nothing but his boxer's, Frank really couldn't pretend he hadn't fucked his little brother the night before. At least the telltale smell of sex no longer hung in the air, but his dick still hurt. Frank glanced at Joe, who was still asleep, lying on his tummy. For a moment, Frank's guilt peaked. Joe looked about ten when he was asleep, his handsome face relaxed and content. But his apparent youthful innocence did nothing to lessen Frank's desire. He already wanted to do it again, despite the lingering sting of the raw places on his dick. Moving carefully so as not to disturb Joe, he slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom to pee. In the morning light, his abrasions looked as red and painful as they felt. After relieving himself, Frank got some antiseptic cream and smoothed it on. The cream soothed and cooled the abrasions immediately and Frank sighed with relief. Taking the cream with him, he went back to Joe's room.

Joe was awake now, a look of discomfort on his face. "I need to pee, but it hurts to move," he said, his expression growing amused. "I think we really needed that lubricant."

"Yeah," Frank agreed, sitting down beside him on the bed. "I'm rubbed raw, too. Let's try this," he said and squeezed a healthy dollop of the antiseptic cream on his fingers. "It worked on my dick."

"After the fact lube, huh?" Joe chuckled. He pushed the covers off his ass, which was still bare. "Although I can't say I want you sticking your finger in there at the moment."

"I'll be gentle," Frank said, grinning. "Open up."

Joe pulled his butt cheeks apart and Frank carefully smeared cream around the opening, which was red and inflamed. Once the outside was well-creamed, he slid the tip of his finger in, working the cream a little deeper into Joe. "How's that feel?"

"Pretty good, actually," Joe said, the relief plain in his voice. "That's taking away a lot of the sting."

"Good." Frank capped the tube.

Joe folded his hands under his chin. "You aren't having morning after guilt, are you?" He tipped his head to the side and looked at Frank. "You weren't acting alone, remember."

Frank looked down at his hands, turning the tube over in his fingers. "I know, but I'm older. I should be the voice of common sense." He met Joe's eyes. "We need to think through what made us need each other like that. And we shouldn't do it again."

"You didn't hurt me," Joe interrupted.

"I know, but…" Frank hesitated. How could he explain, without hurting Joe's feelings, that he could accept being gay, but incest was wrong?

Joe looked away. "You know," he said casually, "I've thought for awhile now that I was probably gay. I like girls, but I've never been interested in anyone romantically. But what kept me wondering was the fact that I had never been attracted to another guy, either. I always just wanted to hang around with you." He returned his gaze to Frank's face. "And last night, when you were lying on top of me, I didn't care if it hurt. I wanted you to keep doing what you were doing. I know you think incest is wrong, but for me, what happened last night was right."

Frank flinched. As usual, Joe seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "I still think we shouldn't do it again," he replied. "I honestly can't say if I'm not just reacting to the stress of what's going on between Mom and Dad. Can you?"

Joe was quiet for a moment. "No," he said finally. "All right, I'll bow to your greater wisdom, big brother." He grinned at Frank. "We have a case to work on, anyway. I only just got the video downloaded last night. I still have to get that still you wanted."

"And I still need to check obits and crime reports," Frank said. He patted Joe's bare bottom. "You can shower first. I'll start breakfast. Pancakes sound good?"

"Yeah." Joe sat up, wincing, and climbed stiffly out of bed. "It's not so bad once I start moving," he said. "Maybe the shower will help." He went to his dresser to get clean boxers.

Frank watched him totter out of the room in silence. Hearing Joe say having sex with him felt right made Frank doubt himself. He wanted to believe there was something wrong with his desire, but it didn't feel wrong and, put simply, he trusted Joe's instincts. If Joe said it was right, then maybe it _was_ right, even though society at large would disagree. With a sigh, Frank stood up and went to get his jeans and a t-shirt.

The kitchen was empty, but there were signs someone had been there. The coffee pot was on and still had a few cups in it. There were crumbs on the counter and a used butter knife lay in the sink. Frank almost smiled. Their father liked toast for breakfast, but he never used a plate and always got crumbs everywhere. It drove their mother crazy, but Frank had always thought there was affection in her annoyance. Now he was not so sure. He wiped up the crumbs and put the knife in the dishwasher before starting the pancakes.

Joe came down just as he was taking the first cakes off the griddle.

"Perfect timing," Frank said. "You can have these."

"Thanks." Joe accepted the stack of pancakes and got utensils from the drawer. "Did you make the coffee?"

"No, I think Dad did."

Joe made a face. "He always makes it too weak. Mind if I pour it out and make a fresh pot?"

"No." Frank half-smiled. The coffee was too weak, but he hadn't felt like making more.

They ate their pancakes at the breakfast bar in companionable silence. There was nothing awkward or uncomfortable about being together, as Frank had feared. The night of passion had not changed their relationship at all, as far as he could tell.

"Good morning, boys." Laura came into the kitchen wearing a bathrobe, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. "What time did you get back last night?"

"It wasn't that late," Frank said. "It was before eleven, I'm pretty sure."

"Oh. I must have fallen asleep early. I didn't hear you come in. Did your dad make the coffee?"

"I did," Joe said.

Laura smiled. "Oh, good. He always makes it too weak."

That simple statement sent a surge of fury through Frank. It was such a normal conversation; one they'd had countless times. But it wasn't normal. Laura was no longer in love with Fenton. He was sure of it. So talking about his father's little quirks like she still cared filled him with pain. To cover his sudden anger, he said, "There's some pancake mix left, Mom. Would you like me to make you some?"

"Thanks, dear, but I'll do it." Laura glanced in the mixing bowl he'd used. "I'd better add a little more milk. It's gotten thick."

It was all so normal. For Frank's whole life, their Saturday mornings had gone like this. But now it felt like a parody. He glanced at Joe and was startled to see his fists clenched so tight around his knife and fork that his knuckles were white. Frank touched his hand and Joe started. He looked at Frank and there were tears in his eyes. Frank knew what he was thinking. It was all just a charade.

"Joe and I have something we want to work on today, Mom," Frank said. "Were there any chores you needed us to do first?"

Laura smiled, but there was something strangely empty about it. "No, you boys work on your case. I know that's what you really want to do."

Frank had to bite his tongue. She said it like they always did their own thing first.

Joe abruptly stood up. "Fine!" he snapped. "We'll just do that!" He stacked up his and Frank's dishes and dumped them in the sink. "You don't mind doing the dishes, do you?" he said in a falsely cheerful tone. Then he stalked out of the room.

Laura slowly stirred the pancake mix, but she didn't ladle any onto the griddle. "I guess I deserved that," she said softly.

"You and Dad have to stop this, Mom," Frank said flatly. "You're parents. You don't get to wallow in your own heartache. If you can't see how hard Joe is taking this, you don't deserve to be his mother. So deal with it." Frank slipped off his stool and left without waiting for her response. Upstairs, he found Joe standing in the middle of his room with his back to the door. His fists were clenched at his sides and his shoulders hunched, his posture radiating the pain he was in. "Joe," Frank said softly.

Without a word, Joe whirled around and threw himself into Frank's arms. His cheeks were wet with tears and he was shaking.

Frank held him close, gently stroking his hair. "It'll be all right, Joe. We'll just have to focus on ourselves for a while."

"Is that a good idea?" Joe whispered. "Right now, all I want is for you to kiss me until it all goes away." He looked up, his wet, wounded eyes dark and heartbroken.

There was no way Frank could resist him. He pressed his lips warmly to Joe's and kissed him for a long time.

When they finally parted, Joe sighed. "Thanks. That really does help." He smiled crookedly. "But we'd better stop now before I get ideas." He turned toward his computer. "I'll work on the video now. It shouldn't take too long to get that still."

"All right. I'm going to take a shower first and then I'll search the newspaper archives. Email me the image when you get it. If there are any pictures in the archives, I can compare it."

"Sure thing."

Just before midday, Joe strolled into Frank's room with a plate of sandwiches and two sodas. "I made lunch," he said. "Did you get the email?"

"Yeah, I got it." Frank tapped the screen, where the pale image of the ghost's face was displayed.

Joe put the sandwiches on the corner of Frank's desk, handed him one of the sodas and pulled up his spare chair. "They're turkey and Swiss cheese," he remarked as sat down. "We're out of everything else. We're going to have to do the shopping at this rate."

"Sheesh!" Frank muttered. "This is getting ridiculous." He picked up a sandwich and took a bite. "At least this stuff hadn't gone bad."

"Not quite," Joe chuckled. "I had to cut a little mold off the cheese." He snagged a sandwich. "We can ask Dad for money later."

"Any sign of Mom?"

"I think she went out."

"Good. At least we won't have to listen to them fight. Anyway, look at this." Frank pulled up an article he had minimized. "I found this in an archive from last April. It's about a missing woman. Look at the picture." Frank enlarged the image next to the article until it was about the same size as the image of the ghost.

"Whoa!" Joe exclaimed. He leaned closer, examining the two pictures. "That could be her! The shape of the face and eyes is really similar." The picture from the article was of a smiling, happy-looking woman, while the face of their ghost was heartbroken, but the resemblance between the two images was strong.

"Her name is Angela Wilson," Frank said. "I couldn't find any record of her having been found, but I did find this." He brought up another article he had minimized. "Her husband was questioned about her disappearance because it turned out he was having an affair at the time, but I don't think any charges were ever filed. I couldn't find anything more about it." He turned to Joe. "We should go talk to Sheriff Becker."

"Yeah," Joe nodded. He took a bite of his sandwich, smearing mayonnaise on his cheek.

Frank chuckled. "You should have brought napkins." He wiped the mayonnaise off with his fingertip and stuck it in his mouth.

"I can wipe my own face," Joe laughed. "No spit baths." Then he lifted his eyebrows. "Unless you really want to lick me."

"Joe…" Frank growled.

"I'm sorry!" Joe held up his hands defensively, still laughing. "I'm a teenage boy and you woke up my libido! Can I help it if I can't stop thinking about sex now?"

"We're working," Frank said, smacking Joe on the knee. "We can discuss later whether or not any parts of you need licking." He turned back to his monitor, feeling guilty and happy at the same time. He knew he shouldn't be joking about sex with Joe, but the teasing fit the comfortable atmosphere that always enveloped them when he and Joe were together.

But the heavy tread of their father's footsteps in the hallway broke the mood. "Hey, boys," Fenton greeted them tiredly from the doorway. "How's that camera working out?"

"Great, Dad," Joe replied. He picked up the plate. "Want a sandwich?"

"Uh, sure." Fenton came into the room and took a sandwich from the plate. "Looks tasty. Did you make these?"

"Yeah."

Fenton nodded as he took a bite. "Pretty good," he said. "Are we getting low on lunchmeat?"

"And cheese," Joe said.

"Well, I'll swing by the store on my way back from the office and pick up a few things. What do you want for dinner?"

"Pizza!" Joe replied promptly.

Fenton laughed. "All right! I'll bring home a pizza, too."

"Are you planning to work all day?" Frank asked. He had never really thought about it before, but it was not unusual for Fenton to work on weekends. He would try to stay home Sundays, but work had always come first with him. No wonder their mother had sought companionship elsewhere. How was she supposed to make plans for the two of them with Fenton always running off to the office for the afternoon?

Fenton scratched the back of his head. "I've got something I want to wrap up," he said. "But it should only take a few hours. I should be home by dinnertime, even if I stop at the store."

"And the pizza parlor," Joe added.

"Yes and the pizza parlor." Fenton chuckled and turned toward the door. "All right, I'll see you boys later. Let me know if you need any help with what you're working on."

"Sure thing, Dad."

They listened to him trudge down the stairs and into the garage.

"That was almost like the old Dad," Joe remarked. "Do you think he's adjusting?"

"I think he's putting on a good show," Frank said. "But honestly, I appreciate that. It shows he cares." Frank turned back to the screen. "I'm going to print these articles for reference."

"And the ghost picture," Joe said.

"Yeah, that too." Frank queued everything to the printer and they watched it click, hum and start ejecting pages. When the last page printed, Frank took the stack from the tray and tapped it on the table to neaten it. ""Let's head over to the Sheriff's Office now. If Tom's not there, we can always make an appointment to meet with him later."

"Ok."

At the Sheriff's Office, three patrol cars occupied the angled parking in front. Frank had to park several spaces down, in front of the local consignment shop.

"Geez!" Joe complained. "You'd think they'd leave at least one space for citizens to use."

"Well, they need to be able to get to their cars quickly in an emergency," Frank responded with a chuckle.

Joe snorted, obviously thinking that wasn't much of an excuse.

They entered the station and were greeted immediately by Murray Johnson. He'd been a deputy sheriff for about a thousand years, judging by his appearance.

"Well, look who's here!" Murray exclaimed cheerfully. "It's the Hardy Boys."

"Afternoon, Murray," Frank said. "Is the Sheriff in?"

"Yeah, but he's got someone with him right now." Murray leaned on the counter that separated the squad room from the waiting area. "But I'm glad you came in. Gives me a chance to say adios."

"Are you going somewhere?" Frank asked

"Yup, I'm retiring!" Murray grinned broadly. "Got the motor home all packed up and ready to go. I'm driving to California! I want to see another ocean before I kick the bucket."

"That's great, Murray! We're sure gonna miss you."

"Me, too!" Murray winked at them. "But a man's gotta do for himself before he croaks, know what I mean?"

"Absolutely."

A pretty young woman in a deputy's uniform came out of the Sheriff's office. Murray beckoned to her. "Hey, Rose! Come here!" Murray turned back to Frank and Joe. "You boys remember Rose Waylon, don't you? She used to do paperwork for us." Rose joined them at the counter and Murray clapped her on the shoulder. "Well, she just got back from the police academy upstate. Graduated with honors and came right back to sign up as a deputy." Murray beamed as proudly as if Rose was his own daughter.

Rose smiled at them, but her eyes were glued to Joe. She looked him up and down and drew a nervous breath. "It's good to see you again," she said, but it seemed to Frank that the only one she was happy to see was Joe. Her eyes drank his brother in with obvious lust.

"Congratulations, Rose," Frank said. "Deputy Sheriff is a good career choice."

"Thanks!" She grinned at Joe. "I imagine I'll see you around quite a bit. You boys are always working on cases, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Frank replied, slipping an arm around Joe's shoulders. "It's a hobby. Speaking of which," he glanced at Murray, "can we go in?"

"Sure." He tipped his head toward Sheriff Becker's office and the two went past the front desk.

The door was open, but Frank rapped on it anyway. "Hey, Sheriff Becker, got a minute?"

"Frank and Joe Hardy!" Tom Becker exclaimed. "What brings you to the station?"

"We're investigating something and hoped to pick your brain about it."

"I'll help if I can," Tom said. He gestured to the seats in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

The boys sat and Frank passed over the article about the missing woman. "Do you remember this case?"

Tom slid his reading glasses onto his face and scanned the article. "Oh, yes, I remember." He nodded slowly. "Never found her." He put the article down and looked at them over the tops of his glasses. "Personally, I think she's dead, but without a body or anything to go on…" He shrugged.

"You investigated her husband," Frank said.

"We questioned him," Tom said. He scowled. "Didn't like his type, but there was nothing connecting him to his wife's disappearance. He was keeping a mistress and he was with her the night his wife went missing. Solid alibi. They've moved away since then. The guy claimed there were too many memories here."

Frank glanced at Joe and then handed Sheriff Becker the picture of the ghost. "Is this her?"

Tom studied the picture. "Could be. Let me get her file." He went to his row of filing cabinets against the wall and pawed through the drawers, muttering to himself. "Here it is," he said finally. He came back to the desk with a manila folder. "I got a couple different pictures of her from her husband when we searched their house," he said. He flipped through the folder. "Here we go." He picked up an eight by ten glossy photo. It was one of those posed glamour shots that women liked to get for fun, so her expression was one of serious sophistication. Tom held the two pictures side by side. "Hm." He handed the pictures to Frank. "What do you think?"

Frank stared at the two pictures. There was no mistaking it. The two images were of the same woman.

"It's her," Joe murmured.

Tom leaned forward, his arms folded on his desk. "Where'd you get that picture?" His demeanor suddenly all business.

"It's going to sound pretty weird," Frank warned, "but we took this picture last night up on Lovers Lane. It's a ghost."

"What?"

"I'm not kidding, Sheriff," Frank said seriously. "We've been looking into ghost sightings up on Lovers Lane and last night we were able to capture this image. I think you're right. I think Angela Wilson is dead and she probably died up there on Lovers Lane."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tom insisted on seeing the spot where they saw the ghost, so they followed the Sheriff's patrol car to the big oak tree up on Lovers Lane. They parked in the lane, rather than under the tree, and walked to where their tracks from last night could be seen in the dirt. On the drive up, Joe and Frank had discussed what they would do if the sheriff asked how they'd gotten the image of the ghost. Neither of them wanted anyone else to see that video, with the sounds of them making out on it, but Joe couldn't edit out the audio without losing the sound of the ghost hitting the car.

"I assume you looked for tracks," Tom said, studying the ground.

"Multiple times," Frank responded.

Joe said nothing as he watched Frank and the sheriff pace slowly back and forth. He was glad the sheriff had come alone. Rose had wanted to come with them, but Tom had told her she needed to man the office. Joe shivered. The way Rose's eyes had slid over his body had made him feel naked. It was indecent being looked at like that.

Tom finally stopped pacing and scratched his head. "Well, I'll be damned. I trust you boys, so if you say it was a ghost, I believe it. But I don't know that I can re-open the case based on that." He looked around. "We searched up here, you know. The husband, Mitch Wilson, said he was up here doing his mistress the night his wife went missing. The mistress confirmed it. He even had an insurance claim on file for damage to his car that happened that night."

Joe snapped to attention.

"What kind of damage?" Frank demanded in the same instant.

Tom blinked at them in surprise. "A tree branch fell on his car. He had cell phone pictures of the branch lying on the roof of the car that he took for his insurance company. I downloaded the pictures from his phone myself. They confirm he and his mistress were here at 3am."

Frank turned to stare at Joe thoughtfully as he addressed the sheriff. "Was it a big branch?"

"Yeah, pretty big."

"Did Mitch Wilson tell you where he was parked?"

"Up the road a ways." Tom hooked a thumb back in the direction of the highway.

"Show me." Frank hurried to the car.

Joe was already climbing in. "It matches the video," he whispered to Frank.

"I know." Frank frowned. "Can you edit it down to just the part with her face and the bang?" He grimaced. "I don't want anyone to see the rest of it, but that part is critical."

"I can try."

Half a mile up the lane, the sheriff pulled over near another large oak tree. It was not as large as the other one, but still had an impressive canopy. "This is where Wilson said they were parked."

Joe immediately doubted anyone had parked there. It was not a good spot. The tree's branches hung fairly low, obscuring the view, and across the lane the ground rose, blocking the sight of the ocean even more. The logical place to park in this area was on top of that rise, with a sweeping view of the water. He followed Frank up to the base of the tree, scanning up the trunk for signs of a broken branch.

"There," Joe pointed. About fifteen feet off the ground, a raw spot in the bark was visible where a branch had torn away.

Frank put his hands on his hips and looked around. "Do you see the branch?"

"It's over here," Tom said. He kicked a fallen tree branch lying close to the lane.

Frank went over and looked at it. "That's odd," he murmured. "Hey, Joe, do you think you can climb up there?"

Joe examined the trunk. "Probably."

"Good." Frank came back to the tree. "Go up and have a look at the break."

"Ok." Joe scrambled up the tree skillfully. He had always been good at climbing, so in no time at all, he was balanced just below the break. But as soon as he looked at it, he knew something was wrong. "That branch didn't come off on its own," he reported, knowing full well that's what Frank expected to hear. "It was cut. The top of the break is too smooth."

Frank nodded. "That's what I thought. The end of the branch looks chipped, like someone was trying to make a smooth cut look rough. A year from now, that might not even show."

Joe slid back down the trunk. "And with the break that high off the ground, no one was going to see the anomaly unless they climbed up there."

"And there would be no reason to," Frank concluded. He turned to Tom. "Sheriff, we need to show you the video we took last night. We'll copy it onto a flash drive and bring it by tomorrow. Will you be in the office?"

"I can be," Tom looked from Frank to Joe. "What have you got?"

"When we got that picture," Frank said, "we also got some audio. Something hit the roof of our car last night. Something really heavy, but it didn't leave a mark."

Tom stared. "No shit?!"

Frank nodded grimly. "I think you might want to re-open this case, Sheriff Becker. I think Mitch Wilson knows something about his wife's disappearance. He might even have killed her."


	5. More Details

**_Warning_**_: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 5: **More Details**

Joe sat up late Saturday night working on the video. Getting it cut down to just the woman's face and the banging sound, without including any of the sounds of them making out or the brief glimpse of his partially nude state, was tricky. But around midnight, he had something he thought would work. He stood up and stretched his back before heading to Frank's room. Frank's light was on, so he stuck his head in.

"Still up?"

"Yeah." Frank was sitting up in bed reading a book. "Did you finish the video?"

"Yeah, come have a look."

Frank followed Joe back to his room. Joe sat down in front of his computer and Frank leaned over his shoulder.

"It's really short, but I think I got all the stuff that matters." He hit the play button. It was only about three and a half seconds of video, but the transition of the woman's face from blurry to crystal clear and the loud bang, along with their startled cries, were there. "I cut it just after the camera started to fall, so it shows that the car was knocked about, but I was able to leave off the bit of me with my clothes half off." He grinned at Frank. "That part would be really hard to explain."

Frank nodded and grinned at him. "Good job, Joe. You can hear us breathing, but one might assume the rapidness is due to a ghost being right outside the car window." He squeezed Joe's shoulder. "Do you have a spare flash drive?"

"Yes." Joe dug in his desk drawer. "Remember, I got that freebie for buying that other one last month."

"Oh, right."

Joe copied the video onto the flash drive and yawned. "Man, it's late. I'm tired, but I'm kind of keyed up, too." He put the computer into standby.

"That's why I'm still up," Frank said. "I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't stop thinking." He sat down on the bed, his hands dangling between his knees.

"About me?" Joe turned around in his chair and tipped his head to the side. He didn't smile, because Frank had a serious expression on his face.

"Well, yeah, to be honest." Frank's cheeks flushed. "I keep thinking about what it felt like being with you last night." He ran his fingers through his hair and met Joe's eyes. "I'm not having much luck convincing myself I don't want to do it again."

"I'm glad I'm not alone in that," Joe said. He got up and sat down next to Frank. "I know you said we shouldn't do it again, but how will we know if the way it made us feel was a fluke or not? We were both really worked up last night. When we got into it, it felt more than good because we both really needed it. Maybe if we were more deliberate about it, we would know if it was just the circumstances that made us want each other, or something deeper." Frank looked into his eyes and Joe had a sudden urge to kiss him.

"Let me think about it," Frank said.

"All right."

Frank looked at him a moment longer before standing up. "We'll go see Sheriff Becker first thing tomorrow and give him the video. After that, I want to go back up to Lovers Lane. If a tree branch fell on Mitch Wilson's car where we were parked, and not where he claimed to be parked, it should still be there. I want to find it."

"Ok." Joe watched him leave and sighed. He wondered if he would be able to get Frank to kiss him again. They did not usually kiss each other goodnight, but Joe could really have used a kiss right then. "Or not," he finally said aloud. "It would just make me want more." Feeling frustrated, he stripped down to his boxers, turned out the light, and crawled into bed.

In the morning, after another breakfast without seeing either parent, Frank and Joe drove over to the sheriff's office. The sheriff was already there and thankfully Rose Waylon was not. The deputy on duty waved them on in, so they went straight into Tom Becker's office.

"Morning, Sheriff," Frank said. "We've got that video for you."

"Great! I'm really anxious to see that." Tom accepted the flash drive from Joe with a wry smile. "Of course, half the time I can never get these things to work right." He leaned over to plug the drive into a USB port and squinted at his monitor. "Hey, it worked that time!" Gripping his mouse, he double-clicked on the file and watched the screen intently. He started when the bang sounded.

"I didn't enhance that," Joe said quickly. "That's as loud as it was when we heard it."

"Man!" Tom scratched his head. "That must have given you boys a fright."

"It was pretty startling," Frank agreed. "The weird thing is that the ghost's face looks clear like it does at the end the whole time it's outside the window, but when it's recorded all you get is that blur you saw at the beginning. So it's really odd that the image gets clear on the video right when the bang sounds."

"And you say there were no marks on your car at all?"

"Nothing. It bounced like something heavy fell on it, but there were no marks on the roof."

Tom shook his head, his face a puzzled frown. "I don't get it. Mitch Wilson wasn't parked where you were, or at least that's what he and his mistress told us. So why is the ghost appearing way up the road? Maybe it's not Angela Wilson."

"It might not be," Frank acknowledged. "We're going to look around a little more up there and see if we can find anything else."

"Ok. If you do, be sure to bring it to my attention."

"We sure will."

Tom unplugged the flash drive, failing to eject it first, and his computer squawked. "Dang it!"

Joe chuckled. "I'm sure it's fine, Sheriff. Anyway, you can keep that, just in case."

"Thanks!" He turned the flash drive over in his hand. "Maybe I'll stick it in her file for the time being. If it turns out not to be related, I can make a new file for it."

"Sounds good," Frank said. "We'll be in touch."

"Later, guys."

On the way up to Lovers Lane, Joe rolled down his window to let the cool ocean breeze blow into the car. "I'm glad he didn't ask if there was more to the video."

"Yeah," Frank chuckled. "Thank goodness he's technologically challenged."

When they got back to their parking spot under the oak tree, Joe immediately hopped out. Scanning up the trunk of the tree, he could not see any breaks. "I'm not seeing any place where a branch came off."

"No?" Frank walked across the road. "Let's look from farther back." He stood with his hands on his hips, examining the tree's canopy. Then he studied the ground. "It looks pretty full, but does it seem like there's a gap right there, just above the car? It might be more reflections coming off the car, but it seems like there's more sunlight hitting around the car than elsewhere."

Joe examined the ground. "You might be right. The dapple pattern is denser around the car." He started back toward the tree. "I'm going to climb up," he said, but stopped with a frown when he realized the lowest branches were well out of reach. "If Angela Wilson hung herself from this tree, how did she get in it?" He walked around the trunk and stopped in back. "There's a scuff mark here where the bark's rubbed away," he called to Frank.

"Oh, yeah?" Frank joined him and examined the mark, which was about four feet off the ground. "She could have leaned a ladder against the tree."

Joe nodded. "Possibly. Give me a boost up." Frank cupped his hands and Joe stepped into them. The additional height allowed him to reach a branch and he shinnied up. From here, he had a good view of the clearing below. Several branches looked sturdy enough for him to climb out onto, so he picked one that was pointing more or less toward the front of the clearing and inched his way out.

"Be careful," Frank said, watching him from the ground.

"I am," Joe replied. He was able to get most of the way to Frank's car before a vertical branch impeded his progress. He stopped and swung his legs over the same side, holding onto the vertical branch so he could sit facing toward the middle of the clearing. He was about even with the rear bumper of the car. Examining the foliage, he could see one large branch that was pointing like a crooked finger straight at the car. Moving slowly, he stood up so he could get a better look.

"What do you see?" Frank demanded.

"Right there." Joe pointed. "The end of that branch is snapped off."

Frank scrambled up onto the roof of his car. "I don't see it."

"I'm not sure you can from there. There's another branch sticking out that blocks the view from below. But from here it's pretty clear." Joe dug in his pocket and got out his cell phone. Balancing carefully, he zoomed in on the broken branch and took a picture. "I'm coming down." Back on the ground, he showed Frank the picture. "What do you think?"

"It looks right," Frank said. "Let's look for it."

They split up and searched the edges of the clearing.

"Joe! I found it!"

In a depression on the left hand side of the clearing, a broken tree branch lay partially buried under leaves and dirt.

"Let's see if we can move it," Frank said. Between the two of them, they were able to roll the branch out of the depression and into the clearing.

"Man, that's heavy!" Joe exclaimed. He wiped dirt and bits of old tree bark off his hands.

Frank squatted down next to the branch. "Look at this," he said. He plucked a scrap of something off the branch.

Joe squatted down beside him. "That looks like rope fiber."

"That's what I thought." Frank stood up. "I've got an evidence kit in the car. Let's get samples." He went to the car and came back with a small box in his hand. Inside were gloves, tweezers, a few plastic bags and a couple of glass jars with screw-on caps. Using the tweezers, Frank collected several shreds of the fiber and put them in a bag. "We can take them to the lab at the university," he said. "I know a graduate student there who will analyze it for us."

"Great." Joe went back to where the branch had been lying. "Does this depression look natural to you?"

"No," Frank said. "I think someone was trying to hide the branch."

Joe nodded slowly. "So how does this sound? Angela Wilson knew her husband was having an affair and decides to kill herself. But she wants to punish him at the same time, so she follows him up here one night and sees him doing it in the car with his mistress. She uses a ladder to climb up into the tree, picks a branch that's hanging over the car so they'll see her, ties a rope around the branch, puts the noose around her neck, and jumps off. But the force is too much and the branch snaps, dropping her onto the roof of the car. We don't know what happened after that, except that Mitch Wilson drove to another spot and sawed a branch off that other tree so it fell on his car. He took pictures to support his alibi and got his mistress to corroborate his story." He looked at Frank.

"That makes sense," Frank said. "So did she snap her neck on the rope, die in the fall, or did her husband kill her? Because I'm almost positive she's dead."

"If she died from the suicide attempt, why cover it up?" Joe pointed out. "Call the cops while the body's lying on the car. He's got a witness sitting right next to him who can confirm that it's a suicide."

"Right," Frank agreed with a nod. "Which means he probably killed her and got the mistress to help him cover it up. But how do we prove that?"

Joe shrugged. "Not sure. But I think we should try to get the ghost to appear again."

"Why?"

"Because every time we do, we learn a little more."

Frank chewed his lip. Joe understood why he was hesitating. He was wondering what would happen if they started making out again. Joe was pretty sure he knew what would happen. But the case took precedence over their uncertainty. He squared his shoulders. "We have to figure out what happened to her, Frank. We need to try."

Frank took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. But not tonight. Let's come back next Friday."

"Ok."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Friday night rolled around, Frank had developed serious misgivings about their plan, but he didn't say anything to Joe. Joe seemed focused on the case. If he was thinking at all about the potential consequences of making out with him again, he didn't show it. But they were not able to get out of the house when they wanted to, because Fenton and Laura had a hideous argument over dinner.

It all started because Laura asked Fenton to set the table, but Fenton was already bombed and he dropped the plates, breaking two of them. Laura went ballistic, screaming that he'd done it on purpose, and Fenton blew up right back, shouting that it was an accident and for her to quit assuming everything he did was to spite her.

"You aren't the center of my life anymore!" he shouted.

"I was never the center of your life!" Laura screamed back. "I was nothing but a housekeeper you could fuck!"

Fenton went utterly pale at these words. He stared at her in stunned silence for long seconds and then stumbled from the kitchen blindly. Frank ran after him to make sure he didn't try to leave the house in his condition. He caught up with Fenton at the door to his study and discovered that Fenton was sobbing, his hands shaking so much he could barely grasp the doorknob. Frank helped him into the room and sat with him on the couch. It was weird to hold his father while he wept. It should have been the other way around.

"Why?" Fenton gasped through his tears. "Why does she hate me? Was I really that horrible to her? I thought… I thought we loved each other."

Frank said nothing. He had no idea what his mother's expectations for marriage were. He had always thought they were happy as a family. Until Laura's affair, he had thought she enjoyed her comfortable, middle-class life with a hard-working husband and two handsome, intelligent sons. But apparently, that was not what she wanted out of life. But to blame their father for not recognizing that seemed unfair. Fenton obviously thought he had been providing for her.

"It's not your fault, Dad," he finally said. "Whatever's going on with Mom is out of your control."

"Why did she even marry me?" Fenton whispered. His sobs faded and he rubbed his hand over his face, smearing away the tears.

Frank was silent for a moment. "Maybe you should ask her to move out." Fenton stared at him in shock. "Even if she apologizes for what she said, will you be able to forget it?"

Fenton licked his lips and shook his head, his face sad. "But what about you boys? Kids usually stay with their mother."

"Not this time," Frank said sharply. "You aren't the only one Mom's said things to that will be hard to forgive or forget. And Joe and I have always been your sons more than hers." He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm already eighteen, remember? I get to decide where I want to live."

"And Joe would rather stay with you," Fenton added with a weak smile. "You boys are like twins."

"That's right."

Fenton sighed deeply. "I'll think about it. Divorce is not a decision to make lightly."

"No, it isn't." Frank patted his knee. "Why don't you stay here? I'll bring you a plate."

"Not one of the broken ones," Fenton managed with a faint smirk.

Frank laughed. "I'll be back in a few minutes." When he returned to the kitchen, he found Laura gone and Joe sitting at the breakfast bar with his head in his hands. The broken dishes were cleaned up. "Where's Mom?"

"Gone," Joe said flatly. He looked up. "She said she was sorry for saying something like that in front of us and I told her no she wasn't."

"Joe!"

He shrugged in resignation. "She accused me of taking Dad's side, so I pointed out that he wasn't the one who cheated. Being devoted to his job isn't the same thing as fucking someone else."

Frank stared at him. It was hard to imagine Joe saying such things, especially to their mother. It only showed how deeply wounded he was.

"Anyway, she seemed a little surprised to hear me say it like that and she took off." Joe made a face. "I wonder if she went to see her lover."

"She said she broke up with him."

"Yeah." Joe's tone implied he didn't believe it.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to wait awhile before we go out, just to make sure Dad's ok."

"That's fine. Was he very upset?"

"He was crying."

Joe's eyes widened. "Dad doesn't cry."

"He didn't used to," Frank agreed. He got a fresh plate from the cupboard. "I'm going to take him some dinner. I'll tell him we're going out, but let's wait until after he passes out. He's probably already on his second drink since I left him."

"He needs to stop drinking," Joe murmured.

"He will when he's ready. Maybe after Mom's gone."

"Do you think she'll leave?"

"If she doesn't offer to, I'm going to suggest it," Frank said grimly. "Her being here isn't doing you or Dad any good." Then he smiled. "You're a better cook, anyway."

Joe laughed softly, his face warming into a gentle smile. "Am I?"

They smiled at each other for a moment, enjoying the closeness that excluded everyone else.

Fenton passed out around 10pm, so they left after that. They didn't see many cars on the drive up, but there were quite a few parked in the turnouts along Lovers Lane. Their spot, as usual, was empty.

"People must really be spooked by the ghost," Joe remarked. "I haven't seen a single car for the last quarter mile."

"I'm glad," Frank said. He glanced at Joe as he backed in under the tree. "I don't want to risk getting seen after what happened last time."

Joe nodded, but he didn't say anything. He rolled down his window and started setting up the camera. Like last time, Frank stood outside the window to make sure they had it pointing in the right direction. It was quiet under the tree. There was no wind, so even the sound of the ocean was muffled. The effect was eerie rather than peaceful. He got back in the car quickly.

"It's weird, but it feels more haunted tonight for some reason."

"You think so?" Joe said. He glanced at the window. "It is really quiet."

"That's what I was noticing." Frank took a deep breath and faced Joe. "Are you sure you want to do this? If we get excited again…"

"Let's focus on the case," Joe answered. "Maybe that will keep us cooled down." He moved closer and leaned toward Frank. "Let's start with a simple kiss."

_Simple, he says,_ Frank thought. There was nothing simple about the arousal that was already flooding his veins just from looking at Joe. He leaned forward and kissed his brother gently. Joe's lips were soft and warm. They were not as full as Lindsey's, but Frank found that he preferred them. It had always felt mushy kissing Lindsey. Joe's lips were soft, but the kiss was firm. Before he could stop himself, Frank opened his mouth and caressed Joe's lips with his tongue. Joe immediately opened his mouth and tipped his head so it was easier for Frank to put his tongue in. The kiss instantly got deeper and Frank pulled Joe into his arms.

Joe didn't resist at all. In fact, he moved closer and put his left leg across Frank's lap so he could press his torso against Frank's chest. Frank tightened his embrace. Joe's slender body felt wonderful in his arms. The need to touch him had his hands moving before he even thought about it. Slipping his left hand under Joe's t-shirt, Frank caressed his bare skin eagerly. Joe's skin was warm and smooth, and his nipples, already erect with excitement, felt hot. Frank brushed his fingers across the hard nubs and Joe moaned. He leaned back, lifting his chest toward Frank, and Frank could not refuse the invitation. He pushed Joe's shirt up and licked his right nipple, teasing the hot flesh with the tip of his tongue. Then he caught it between his lips and sucked gently. Joe's gasp turned Frank on even more. He hadn't realized a male could be just as stimulated by nipple-sucking as a female. He sucked again, pulling the erect nub into his mouth so he could stroke it with his tongue at the same time.

"Ah!" Joe moaned, his body shaking.

Frank couldn't hold back. Joe's responsiveness had him completely aroused. He unfastened Joe's jeans while he licked his chest and put his hand inside, gripping Joe's erection. The shaft was hot and hard in his hand and Frank pulled on it, eliciting more helpless groans from Joe's throat. There was no stopping; sexual urgency was controlling him now. He sat up so he could take Joe's jeans and boxers off. Joe helped him, lifting his hips and moving his legs so that Frank could strip him. Then Joe lay all the way back and spread his legs, opening himself up for Frank.

Frank was not about to take him dry again. Putting his fingers in his mouth, he wet them and then pushed a damp digit into Joe's entrance. Joe gasped and lifted his hips, giving Frank better access. Frank wet his fingers repeatedly, working the moisture into Joe until he felt wet and Frank could get in three fingers. By this time, Joe was writhing with arousal, his low, erotic moans filling Frank with lust.

Desperately, Frank yanked open his jeans and pushed them down over his hips, dragging his boxers with them. His erection was so stiff it hurt, and it was with a sense of relief that he moved between Joe's legs and pushed into him. Frank lifted Joe's left leg onto his shoulder so he could slide his knee up under Joe's hip, and he caught Joe's right leg behind the knee with his left hand and pushed it up and out, allowing him to move up tight against Joe's bottom and drive into him with more power. Joe's warm body clasped him tightly as Frank moved in and out. He went slowly at first to give Joe time to adjust to him, but he could only hold onto his desire for so long. Taking Joe felt so good that Frank finally started thrusting into him urgently, his hips banging against Joe's bottom with a sharp, slapping sound.

Joe's cries of pleasure were an echo of Frank's gasping moans. He clung to Frank's arms, his nails digging into the skin as he was driven closer and closer to climax. His orgasm was a moment of delirious ecstasy for Frank. He could feel Joe's muscles contracting as he came, a frenzied jerking that pulled Frank over the edge into climax with him. Coming with Joe was the most deeply fulfilling event Frank had ever experienced. There were no words for it. He almost couldn't breathe as the orgasm shuddered through him, Joe's mutual tremors sending additional spikes of pleasure washing through him.

When it was over, all he could do was stare at Joe. He was in love. There was no other way to explain what he was feeling. This moment of mutual satisfaction left them with no excuses.

"Please say you love me, Frank!" Joe whispered. His face was flushed with pleasure and fear; fear that Frank would reject him by denying what they both so clearly felt.

Shifting position, Frank leaned down and embraced him. "I love you, Joe."


	6. Divorce

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 6: **Divorce**

Lying there under Frank, suffused with the warmth of his brother's body and the aftermath of orgasm, Joe had a sudden thought. It was incongruous, given Frank's confession and Joe's happy response. But he couldn't keep quiet.

"Did you see the ghost?"

Frank lifted his head and gave him a look. "No, as a matter-of-fact, I didn't." He shifted position and pulled out. "I don't think she appeared. I admit I was highly distracted, but I think I would have noticed a glowing, ghostly face three feet past the end of my nose."

Joe pushed himself upright and looked out the window. "That's weird. She showed up pretty quick the last two times."

"Yes, she did," Frank agreed. "I don't think we got down to business any sooner than last time, and that time she interrupted us before we got to…" Frank paused and his cheeks flushed. "Before we went all the way."

"That's right." Joe reached for his trousers. With the window open and the lower half of his body rather damp, he was starting to get cold. "So why didn't she show up?"

"It's a lot later than it was the other two times." Frank pulled his pants up and fastened them. "Maybe she's manifesting at the time of her death."

"Could be." Joe debated taking his t-shirt off. It was damp with cum and made his skin cold. But being bare-chested might be just as bad. He decided to keep it on. "But if that's the case, why didn't she start showing up until summer? Didn't you say she disappeared in April?"

Frank frowned. "That's right. Her husband reported her missing on April 2nd."

"I can't believe no one parked here for three months," Joe said.

"That isn't possible," Frank stated. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "We're going to have to come back," he said finally. "We need to be here at our normal time and see if she shows."

"And if she does?" Joe exchanged a look with Frank.

"Then I think we'll have a time of death." Frank started the car and Joe rolled up his window.

"But that's another time discrepancy," Joe pointed out as they pulled out into the dirt lane. "Sheriff Becker said the time on the photos of the tree branch from Mitch Wilson's cell phone was 3am. If Angela Wilson fell on her husband's car and died at the time we've been seeing her ghost, then he really did stage the damage to his car at the other location."

"It's starting to look that way," Frank said grimly. "But this is all pretty circumstantial. We can't ask the Sheriff to haul Mitch Wilson back to Bayport based on the time a ghost happens to appear." He slowed down as they passed the spot where Mitch Wilson claimed the tree branch had fallen on his car. "Big surprise," he muttered. "No one's parked there."

"But someone's parked on the other side," Joe said, nodding toward the coast side of the road. A dark-colored coupe sat on the rise, rocking slightly to the rhythm of its occupants. Joe shivered at the visual reminder of what he and Frank had recently been doing. "I bet he had to come back at 3am to cut the branch off that tree and take his pictures because otherwise someone would have seen him."

"Good point." Frank sped up and they continued down to the highway.

Frank was quiet and Joe knew he was thinking about the escalation of their passion for each other. It was hard not to with the smell of sex still permeating the car. Logically, it was reasonable to assume that they were reacting to the stress of their fractured home life and reaching out for each other to hold on to that feeling of family. But Joe could not class their behavior as acting out. Acting out happened in public, where people would see what was going on and be shocked by it. He and Frank were doing everything they could to hide what was happening between them, but they couldn't stop themselves. In Joe's mind, that meant they wanted to do it. And the confession of love they'd shared confirmed it. Their feelings, right or wrong, were genuine.

"Frank," Joe finally said. "I don't know why I feel about you the way I do, but I can't help it. You're the only person I've ever wanted like this and I don't want to give up the way you make me feel. I really like making love with you."

Frank sighed softly, but he smiled at the same time. "You want to be my boyfriend, baby brother?"

The light humor in Frank's tone filled Joe with relief. "It sounds funny when you put it that way, but yes."

"I've been thinking about this, too," Frank said. "Trying to resist you is distracting me from the case and that's not good. I was thinking I could keep my focus better if I just gave in when I wanted you, so if you're agreeable to that, then I think that's what we should do. Maybe our feelings will change after we've been together for awhile, or after Mom leaves and Dad gets back to normal. And if not…" He finished with a shrug. "I could think of worse things than being passionately in love with my little brother."

Joe smiled happily. "That makes sense to me. The important thing is to solve this case and minimizing the distractions caused by my raging hormones and rampant sexiness sounds like the best way to go."

Frank laughed out loud. "Rampant sexiness?! I may have to bang you again for making such a statement."

Joe laughed, too. "I might just let you."

When they got back to the house, they looked in the garage to see if their mother had returned. She hadn't.

Joe sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have said what I did," he said unhappily. "It was pretty harsh."

"Maybe, but it was the truth," Frank replied. "Let's check on Dad." He went down the hall and peeked into Fenton's study. "He's not here!" He frowned worriedly at Joe. "His car's in the garage. Let's check upstairs." They climbed the stairs and quietly opened the door to their parents' bedroom. Fenton was in the big bed lying on his back, his breath sighing out between his parted lips in soft snores. Frank carefully closed the door. "Thank goodness!" he murmured.

Joe nodded in agreement. "That's a relief." He headed for the bathroom and stripped out of his clothes, shoving the soiled garments into the clothes hamper. "We need to do laundry. This thing's getting full."

"I guess we can't rely on Mom to do it," Frank said. "Are you going to take a shower?"

"Not tonight. I'm pretty tired." Joe ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll do it in the morning."

Frank abruptly stepped close and embraced him. "You know, it's going to be tough sharing this bathroom with you now. Seeing you standing there naked is turning me on."

Joe grinned. "You want to do it again?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's do it. We can use my room since it's farther from Dad's."

"I can see this is going to add an interesting dimension to our lives."

"We'll adjust." Joe kissed Frank on the lips, feeling the heat starting to rise up in his body. It was definitely going to be an adjustment, but one that he was more than willing to make. They scurried down the hall to his room and Frank stripped while Joe locked the door. "I'm glad Dad overruled Mom about installing locks on our doors when we hit puberty."

"Dad's a man," Frank answered with a shrug. "He understands that boys just sometimes need their privacy."

Joe grinned. "Mom thought it just gave us carte blanche to jerk off whenever we wanted to."

"Well, of course!" Frank laughed. "And I can think of at least one time when she would have walked in on me if I hadn't locked the door." He shed the last of his clothing and wrapped his arms around Joe's waist. "Now, then, I suppose this is what you meant when you said we should be more deliberate about our relationship."

"It's exactly what I was thinking," Joe replied. He put his arms around Frank's neck. "Although I think we need to invest in some lube. Spit works, but I bet it would feel really good with some high quality lube."

Frank lifted his eyebrows. "And just how are we supposed to buy lube, pray tell?"

"I'll leave that to you," Joe chuckled. "You're the eighteen-year-old in the group."

"I imagine I'll think of something." Frank nuzzled Joe's neck. "Man, I can't believe how turned on I am right now. It's been barely an hour since we did it and I'm hard as a rock."

"I noticed."

"So let's go to bed!" Frank urged. "I need to do something about this before I rupture something."

Joe laughed. "Let's try a position we couldn't do in the car," he said. He slipped out of Frank's arms and crawled onto the bed. "I was reading some gay porn yesterday and it sounds like getting it from behind is really good. I want to try it." He dropped down onto his elbows so his butt was stuck up in the air. "Does this give you any ideas?"

Frank groaned. "Ideas; urges; insane needs; you name it!" He crawled onto the bed behind Joe and licked his fingers. "You still look a little wet from before, but I'll add a little more anyway." He slid his fingers in. "Oh, man, you are really wet!"

"It's all you, big brother," Joe moaned. "You put it in there."

"I'm going to add a lot more," Frank promised. He pulled his fingers out and moved closer to Joe's bottom. He put himself in and gasped aloud. "Oh, lord, you feel good!" He pushed in farther and Joe groaned.

"Yes!" Joe gasped. "Go deeper! It feels amazing!"

Frank began to move, driving himself in and out with increasing urgency. Joe bit his lip to keep from crying out loud and possibly waking their father, but it was hard. Frank's cock was plunging deep inside him, awakening an uncontrollable passion in Joe as it rammed his sweet spot again and again. Joe finally grabbed the pillow and jammed his face into it, muffling the cries he could no longer hold in. Ecstasy slammed through him in a tidal wave of pleasure and he came hard, spurting for what seemed like forever. He could feel Frank climaxing inside him.

When it was over, Frank slumped over his back. "That was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced!" he wheezed.

"It was really good," Joe managed weakly. He was still panting and it was difficult to talk.

Frank pulled out and collapsed onto the bed beside him. Joe let his legs slide out and sank onto his belly, ignoring the rather large pool of cum underneath him. He was already starting to fall asleep. "Are you going to sleep here?"

"I would even if I had the energy to walk back to my room," Frank said, his voice drowsy.

"I love you, Frank."

"I love you, too, Joe."

-o-o-o-o-

In the morning, Fenton came down in his bathrobe while Frank and Joe were making breakfast. His hair was still wet from the shower. "Hey, guys. How'd your investigation go last night?"

"Not as well as we'd hoped," Frank replied calmly. "We think it was a little too late. We're going to try again tonight."

"Sorry about holding you up last night," Fenton said, his face flushing slightly. "What your mom and I said to each other…"

"You don't have to talk about it," Frank said, holding up a hand. "I think we all know how this is going to end."

Fenton nodded sadly. "Yeah. When Laura gets back, I'm going to discuss it with her as objectively as I can. It's really hard though. I never thought I'd end up divorced."

"No one plans to be, Dad," Joe said. "We're making pancakes and bacon. Want some?"

"Absolutely!"

"You caught us by surprise sleeping upstairs last night," Joe continued casually.

Fenton smirked. "I woke up cold with knots up and down my back. I decided it was stupid not to sleep in my own bed, especially when I realized Laura wasn't here. I feel a lot better this morning."

"A good night's sleep will do that."

"Joe and I are planning to do laundry today," Frank said. "Is your stuff in your hamper?"

"I'll make sure it is," Fenton replied. He sighed. "I'm sorry to let the burden of your mom's chores fall on you, but I still have to work."

"We know, Dad," Frank replied. "It's no problem. I think we'll all adjust better if we just go on with our lives as normally as possible."

Fenton nodded slowly. "We could hire a housekeeper."

Frank and Joe exchanged a look. The last thing they needed was a stranger in the house.

"Not right now," Frank said. "Let's see how it works out first. Once we get used to not having Mom around, we can always decide later if we want to hire a housekeeper."

"That's true." Fenton patted Frank on the shoulder. "You boys have really been great. I know we've all said some things to each other that we probably regret, but I want you to know that I couldn't be more proud of you. I think I can get through this with you supporting me."

"You know you can always count on us, Dad," Frank replied.

"Thanks." Fenton smiled at them for a moment. Then he looked down at his scruffy bathrobe. "I think I'll get dressed before breakfast. Be right back."

"Sure thing, Dad." When he was gone, Frank turned to Joe. "It sounds like he's turned the corner."

"Yeah," Joe agreed. "Now if we could just get him to stop drinking so much."

"One step at a time, little brother. Let's get him through the divorce first."

Laura came home shortly after they finished breakfast. Joe was in the garage sorting the laundry when the automatic door opened and he turned to watch his mother pull in. She looked surprised when she saw him, and then her face closed down. "Good morning, Joe," she said as she stepped out of her car. "You don't have to do that."

Joe put his hands on his hips. "I was running out of clothes," he said flatly.

"Oh." Laura shifted uncomfortably. She obviously didn't know what to say. She glanced at Fenton's car. "Your father didn't go into the office?"

"No." Joe turned back to his sorting. "He's waiting to talk to you."

"He is?"

The surprise and alarm in her voice made Joe frown. What did she expect? She had stayed out all night after an argument. Wasn't talking about it the normal thing to do? "I think he's in the kitchen."

Laura hesitated for a moment before going inside. Joe wondered if she was debating getting back in her car and leaving.

Frank came into the garage. "They're having 'the talk'," he said, his tone emphasizing the last two words. "Did Mom say anything about you doing the laundry?"

"She said I didn't have to."

"That's rich." Frank leaned against the washer. "Need help?"

"No, I'm almost done." Joe deposited the last of their father's plain white t-shirts into the appropriate pile and straightened up. "What do you think will happen?"

Frank sighed. "I think he'll ask her to move out."

"Good." Joe picked up the pile of white clothes and Frank opened the door to the front-loading washer so he could put it in. "I get so angry when I look at her now," he continued as he stuffed the clothes into the drum. "I don't know why. I guess I just feel betrayed somehow."

"I know what you mean," Frank said. "I feel the same way. I keep thinking that she should have said something if she was unhappy. How were we supposed to recognize her discontent if she didn't behave any differently? It makes me wonder if she was ever happy. I can't help wondering, like Dad was last night, if she ever loved him."

Joe nodded. He took the detergent off the shelf above the washer and poured a measured dose into the washer's receptacle. He added some bleach, started it, and then looked at Frank with a resigned expression. "I suppose we should go in. I know the trouble is between them, but divorce is a family affair."

Frank sighed and nodded. "Yeah," he murmured and led the way inside.

Joe was relieved that they weren't greeted by shouting. Fenton and Laura were seated at the kitchen table across from each other. Laura was sitting forward, her gaze fixed on her clasped hands in front of her, but Fenton was leaning back in his chair, his hands resting on his knees. Fenton looked at them when they entered, but Laura didn't move.

"I'm glad you're here, boys," Fenton said heavily. "This matter involves all of us." He returned his gaze to Laura, but she didn't look up. "Your mother and I have decided to separate. She'll be moving out as soon as she can make alternate living arrangements."

"Are you getting divorced?" Frank asked.

"Yes."

At Fenton's flat statement, Laura flinched. "It will be amicable," she said quickly. "I don't want to make this difficult for anyone."

Joe bit his tongue to keep from saying anything. Did she honestly think she had not already done that?

Fenton stood up. "I'm going to call Martin Avery." Martin was a solicitor Fenton frequently used for work-related matters. "I'll get a referral for a divorce attorney. You might want to do the same." He left and a moment later, they heard the door of the study closing.

Laura rubbed her hands across her face. "I never thought about a lawyer," she murmured. "I guess I need one, though." She finally looked at Joe and Frank. "I thought maybe things could wait until after you finished high school, but apparently I was wrong."

"Were you with him last night?" Joe abruptly demanded. The words burst out of him before he could stop himself.

Laura shook her head, but her shoulders slumped. "I stayed with Eleanor Crane. She said…" her face became infinitely sad, "she said I needed to talk this out with Fenton. I didn't think he would just ask me to…" she paused and swallowed. "I didn't think he'd just ask me to leave."

"You wanted to leave on your own terms?" Frank said, his voice harsh. "That's a little selfish, don't you think? You're the one who didn't want to be a part of this family anymore."

"That's not true!" Laura exclaimed, tears springing into her eyes. "I love you boys! I never wanted to abandon you! It's just…" She stopped and bit her lip at the look of disbelief on Frank's face.

"I'm an adult and Joe is nearly so, so I guess wanting a life apart from us isn't abandonment," Frank said. "But you've never been that interested in the things that interest us. What bothers me, though, is that I have no idea what your interests are. You've never asked either of us to do something with you that you enjoy. It's not us who excluded you from our lives. You excluded us from yours."

As Frank spoke, Joe felt like he was seeing his mother for the first time. Frank was right. Laura had never asked them to do anything with her. She just went along with whatever they were doing, if she participated at all. It was like she lived in the same house without living with them. The realization relieved some of the hurt he was feeling. He hadn't driven her away. She had always been remote.

Laura stared at Frank in stunned silence. Then she slowly rose to her feet. "I suppose I should go start packing," she said faintly. "Excuse me." She slipped out of the kitchen without looking at Joe.

Joe folded his arms across his stomach. "I guess that's it."

"Yeah." Frank replied. He drew a breath and then turned to Joe, his face all business. "I'm going to call Sheriff Becker and see if he'll let me look at Angela Wilson's file. It's a cold case, so I think he might. Do you mind doing the laundry alone?"

"No. I've got some homework I need to do. I shouldn't go out, especially since we want to go back up to Lovers Lane tonight."

"Ok." Frank studied Joe for a moment and then put his arms around him. "It will be all right, Joe. Trust me."

Joe rested his head on Frank's shoulder. "As long as I have you, I can deal with the rest."


	7. Missing Person

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 7: **Missing Person**

Sheriff Becker agreed to meet Frank at the station and let Frank look through Angela Wilson's file. He was reluctant to let Frank take the file out of his office, so he sat at his desk and watched while Frank flipped slowly through it. There wasn't much. A brief summary of Angela's life and a few pictures struck Frank as a sad commentary on the end of a person's existence. A couple of her friends had given statements asserting that Angela would not have willing disappeared. But they were unable to offer any clues that might have cast more suspicion on her husband or anyone else. One young woman claimed that Angela had wanted to have children and was unhappy because Mitch wasn't ready. Another had claimed that she knew Mitch was unfaithful but had been unwilling to tell Angela because she was strongly attached to her marriage. In the end, there had simply not been enough evidence to implicate anyone in foul play, particularly since no trace of Angela's body was ever found.

When Frank was finished reviewing the last document, he closed the folder with a sigh. "There certainly isn't much," he said.

"No," Tom shook his head sadly. "It really irked me at the time. Mitch Wilson just rubbed me the wrong way; I was sure he had something to do with it. But his alibi was airtight and he did seem genuinely concerned about her disappearance."

"What about the mistress?"

"She was a puzzle," Tom said, his brow wrinkling. "Janice Woollery. She wasn't a local. Moved here from River Heights about two years ago and worked as a substitute teacher. Apparently, she didn't have a lot of friends." Tom raised an eyebrow. "Seems she had a thing for other people's husbands."

"So a relationship with Mitch Wilson would fit her profile."

"Yup. She was a real quiet woman, though. Kind of mousy, even. Not the sort who would strike you as the round-heeled type. Honestly, I was a little surprised when she ran off with Wilson. I would have figured her to just move on to some other married man."

"Maybe the publicity made her decide to start over somewhere else."

"Possibly." Tom scratched his head. "Anyway, she and Wilson moved away in July, about three months after his wife's disappearance. He told me he was keeping his cell phone number, so I should call him if I learned anything."

"Did you keep looking for her body?"

"We'd stopped by then," Tom admitted. "We just didn't have any idea where to look when nothing turned up on Lovers Lane."

"But you were searching in the vicinity of the tree Mitch claimed he was parked under, right?"

"Mostly." Tom squinted at him suspiciously. "You're thinking I should be looking around over by that other tree?"

"I don't know," Frank said. "Joe and I searched that area after we saw the ghost the first time. We didn't find anything, but then we weren't specifically looking for remains." He stood up. "I don't want to waste your time on a cold case, Sheriff. There are a few more clues Joe and I are trying to pin down. If we learn anything solid, I'll bring it to you right away."

"Thanks, Frank." Tom stood up also. "I felt pretty bad letting this one drop, but there was nothing else I could do at the time."

"I understand." Frank shook Tom's hand and headed back outside. It was late morning and the sun was starting to get hot. He climbed into his car and rolled down the windows, but before he could start driving, his phone rang.

"_Hey, Frank, it's Jack._"

"Hey, Jack!" Frank exclaimed. Jack Carter was his graduate student friend at the university lab. During his sophomore year, Frank had exonerated Jack and three friends in a cheating scandal that had saved them from being expelled from university. Since then, Jack had always been ready to help Frank out when he was working on a case that required scientific analysis beyond what Frank could do himself. "Did you learn anything about that fiber?"

"_Sure did. It's standard manila rope fiber. You can buy it at pretty much any hardware store in town._"

"Could you tell how old it was?"

"_It was pretty fresh. Wherever you found it, I don't think it had been there all that long. Less than a year, certainly._"

Frank nodded to himself. "Thanks, Jack, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear."

"_Glad to be of help. Is there anything else?_"

"No, that's it for now. Thanks a lot."

"_You're welcome, Frank. Later!_"

Frank disconnected and stared thoughtfully out the front windshield, his eyes focused on nothing. "So the rope had been there less than a year," he murmured. "That fits with everything else." He started the car and drove home quickly so he could discuss this latest news with Joe.

Joe was sitting in the family room, watching TV and folding a pile of laundry. "Did you learn anything new?"

"A little." Frank sat down on the other side of Joe's laundry basket and pulled out a garment to fold. "Mitch Wilson's mistress, Janice Woollery, was a loner who went for married men."

Joe frowned. "So why would she move away with him? Women like that usually go for married men to avoid any commitment."

"That's what Tom thought, too," Frank replied. "I wouldn't mind learning more about her. But here's something that will interest you. Jack called me. He said that rope fiber couldn't have been where we found it for more than a year."

"Really?" Joe's hands dropped into his lap and he studied Frank thoughtfully. "So the scenario we imagined is starting to look more and more likely."

"So it would seem," Frank said.

Joe resumed folding. "While you were gone, I talked to Dad about recording equipment. He gave me a listening device that can pick up the faintest sounds."

Frank made a face. "The camera never seemed to have any trouble picking up sound."

Joe smiled. "Yes, but we can put the listening device outside the car. It will still probably pick up any sound we make, but sounds from outside should come in clearer."

"What about the camera?" Frank asked. "Should we put that outside?"

"We could."

"I think we might want to. I'm curious to see if the ghost is visible from other angles, or if it has depth."

"Ok."

They finished the folding in silence. When they were done, Joe stacked it neatly in the laundry basket to take it upstairs. Frank followed him up the stairs and glanced toward their parents' room. "Is Mom still here?"

"No." Joe turned the other way and carried the basket into Frank's room. "She packed a couple of suitcases and left not too long after you did. She said she would be back for a few more things later, after she talked to her friend Eleanor Crane about maybe staying there for a few days." Joe removed Frank's clothes from the basket and put them on his bed. "I'll let you put these away."

"No problem." As he started out the door, Frank caught his shoulder. "Are you sorry?" He did not have to add that he was asking about Mom.

Joe only hesitated for a moment. "No. I think it will be better for all of us in the long run. Including Mom." He gave Frank an encouraging smile. "I'm going to do my best to look on the bright side of the situation. At the very least, it gives us one less parent to worry about when we're trying to sneak in a quickie."

"Joe…" Frank said warningly.

Joe just grinned and proceeded down the hall to his own room.

Saturday evening went much more smoothly than Friday had. Laura did not return to the house and after dinner, Fenton decided to go into the office to catch up on paperwork.

"I've been letting things slide," he said, running his hand over his head. "All this stress hasn't been good for business. I need to get caught up."

"Go ahead, Dad," Frank said. "Joe and I are going to be busy this evening anyway."

"That's right." Fenton smiled. "Your investigation. One of these days you'll have to tell me what you're up to."

"We will, Dad."

"All right, then, I'm off." Fenton snagged his jacket and car keys and headed for the garage.

Frank waited until the sound of the garage door closing echoed through the house before turning to Joe. "This certainly makes things much easier. Do you need help with the gear?"

"No, but it's still a little early to head up there." Joe tipped his head to the side and regarded Frank with a teasing expression. "Maybe we should do it before we go so we aren't tempted once we're parked."

Frank wanted to pretend that just the suggestion of having Joe wasn't enough to get him hard, but he would only have been fooling himself. He took Joe in his arms. "It can't be normal to want someone this much," he said.

"Maybe not," Joe replied, "but I'm not going to worry about it." He put his arms around Frank's neck and kissed him soundly. "Let's go upstairs. I don't suppose you bought any lube while you were out?"

"As a matter of fact," Frank grinned, "I did. I got it on my way to the Sheriff's office, along with some stuff for my models."

Joe blinked in surprise. "They sell sexual lubricant at the hobby store?"

"No!" Frank laughed. "I was at the drugstore. But they do sell some hobby stuff at the drugstore and the prices are pretty good. They carry those little pins I like to use, for one thing."

"Didn't the clerk say anything?"

"It was Mrs. Cready," Frank said. "That old lady doesn't bat an eye at anything, but I told her the lube was cheaper than the oil they sold at the hobby store and worked better." He winked. "She said it probably smelled better, too."

"How would Mrs. Cready know what lube smells like?" Joe inquired archly.

Frank chuckled. "I'm not going there. Anyway, it's upstairs." He patted Joe's bottom. "Want to try it?"

"Yes!"

Joe pulled away and led the way upstairs, going straight into Frank's room. "I already changed the sheets on my bed," he said. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Frank locked the door. "Just in case," he said. Then he caught the hem of Joe's t-shirt and pulled it off over his head. "Do you need foreplay?"

"I never need it with you," Joe said matter-of-factly, "but that doesn't mean I don't want it." He caught Frank's hands and placed them on his chest. "It felt really good when you played with my titties."

"Naughty boy," Frank murmured, but he caught Joe's nipples between his fingertips and teased them.

Joe shivered. "It's weird that it should feel so good when you do that."

Frank leaned close and whispered into his ear, "So do you prefer fingers, lips or tongue?"

"Ah!" Joe moaned. "You better use all three so I can compare."

"As you command," Frank purred. He kissed Joe's ear and then worked his way down Joe's neck to his shoulder, which he nipped quickly before continuing down Joe's chest. He released the right nipple so he could stroke it with the tip of his tongue, teasing the nub until it quivered.

"Um…" Joe panted.

"Or this?" Frank said and caught the nipple between his lips. He sucked gently and Joe gasped.

"Um, ok, I think," Joe rasped, "sucking may win, but it's a pretty close contest."

"Maybe you need a little more time," Frank said.

"Possibly," Joe groaned, "but I'm starting to ache all over and I really want to get fucked."

"We're going to have to work on your foreplay," Frank chuckled. "You give in too easily."

"I'm young!" Joe exclaimed. "It's not my fault if I love getting pounded."

"True," Frank acknowledged. "Very well. Strip naked for me, baby brother, and I will take care of your needs."

"Yes!" Joe cried. He stripped out of his jeans and boxers in record time and flopped onto Frank's bed. He stretched out on his back and spread his legs with his knees bent, opening himself up. "Is it all right like this? I want to feel you lying on top of me this time."

"Any position is good that lets me stick it in you," Frank said. He stripped out of his own clothes and retrieved the lube from his bag of shopping sitting on the little table where he assembled his models. "I hope you like this stuff. It's supposed to be very smooth." He uncapped the tube and squirted it over his fingers, rubbing them together experimentally. "Interesting. It feels cold at first, but it warms up when I start sliding it around."

"Less analysis, more lubricating," Joe demanded.

"Right!" Frank slid a finger into Joe, delighting in the way it just went in. The slickness of the lube allowed him to move freely. Curious, he added a second finger and it went in more or less unimpeded as well.

"Oh, yes!" Joe moaned. His eyes closed and he lifted his hips eagerly. "That feels great! Go deeper!"

"Ok." Frank pushed his fingers in farther, moving them around and watching Joe's reaction.

Joe writhed helplessly, panting through his open mouth. His face and chest flushed, his already excited nipples poking out further. "Ah! Unh!" His erection lifted up from his stomach, moisture glistening at the tip.

Frank used three fingers, working more lube in until Joe was slippery with it, little trickles running down from his opening. "I think that's good," Frank said. It had to be. At this point, he was so excited from watching Joe's arousal he couldn't wait anymore. Lying down between Joe's legs, he guided himself in. Joe was tight, but Frank slid into him easily, completely turned on by the warm, clasping pressure of Joe's internal muscles. He slid his arms under Joe's shoulders and Joe embraced him, his gasping breaths rushing against Frank's ear.

Frank moved in and out slowly at first, giving Joe time to adjust to the penetration, but then he began to move more quickly, thrusting deep and hard into Joe's yielding body. Joe clung to him, gasping with pleasure and lifting up underneath him, his body shaking with arousal and impending joy. Frank went faster, driven by a need over which he had absolutely no control. They thrust and strained against each other, groaning and crying out, until ecstasy overwhelmed them and they collapsed into shuddering orgasm.

Several minutes passed in which nothing could be heard but their panting. Frank reveled in the delicious feeling of Joe's warm body underneath his, slender and strong, his firm, muscular belly slick with his cum. He finally lifted his head to look at Joe. Joe's eyes were closed, but his expression was one of utter contentment.

"Was it better with lube?"

"It was fantastic!" Joe answered. He opened his eyes and smiled lovingly at Frank. "I could really feel you, and you went in so deep, even in this position. I think it would be really great if you did me from behind with lube."

"Next time," Frank said. "We should get going if we want to be in position at Lovers Lane on time."

Joe nodded. "I know. It just feels really good lying here like this." He kissed Frank quickly. "But you're right. Back to business."

Frank pulled out and hopped off the bed.

Joe rolled off after him and tottered toward the door. "Ok, I apparently really enjoyed that!" he laughed. "I'm a little stiff."

"So I see," Frank replied.

"I'm going to clean up a little," Joe said. He unlocked the door and limped out.

Later, in the car on their way to Lovers Lane, Frank noticed him squirming a little. "Does your butt hurt?"

"No." Joe grimaced. "It's wet. I think between you and all that lube, it's going to be running out of me for a while."

Frank laughed. "I hadn't thought about that. That would be one reason to only have sex at night."

"It is night," Joe pointed out.

"You know what I mean."

Since it was Saturday night, there were a lot of couples parked on Lovers Lane. They started to worry when they were still passing lots of cars at the mile and a half marker, but fortunately, their space under the tree was still empty when they arrived. Frank backed in and they both got out to set up the equipment. They positioned the camera on the hood of the car facing toward the area outside the front passenger door. Then Joe set up the sound recorder on top of the trunk, so it would be well away from any noise they might make inside the car.

They re-entered the car carefully to avoid disturbing the equipment and snuggled close together.

"You know," Frank said, "even though we just did it, and very satisfyingly, too, I might add, there's no guarantee that making out with you won't make me want to do it again."

Joe grinned. "We'll just have to do our best. If we get too vigorous, we may disrupt the equipment." He pressed warm lips to Frank's mouth. "Maybe she'll respond to a little necking."

"Maybe," Frank said. He kissed back, slipping his tongue between Joe's lips. Joe opened his mouth and caressed Frank's tongue with his own. Frank wrapped his arms tight around Joe's body, in large part to keep his hands from trying to work their way under Joe's clothes. He could already imagine the warm, smooth feel of Joe's skin; the play of firm muscles underneath; the hot hardness of his erection. Frank's erection came up and he groaned. He really had no self-control. Of course, Joe wasn't helping. He was halfway into Frank's lap, his fingers tangled in Frank's hair; his chest pressed so hard against Frank's that Frank could feel his erect nipples through both of their shirts. Frank opened his eyes and almost sighed with relief when he saw the pale face of the ghost watching them, her sad eyes fixed on his. He pulled his mouth away. "She's here," he whispered.

Very casually, Joe straddled his lap and put his head on Frank's shoulder so he was facing the window. "It looks like she's crying. Let's see how long she stays." He lifted his head and kissed Frank deeply. They continued to make out, but the ache of sexual arousal had been erased by investigative curiosity.

"Her mouth is moving," Frank murmured. He watched the ghost's lips carefully. The face was so clear he could almost make out the words. "It looks like she's saying 'How could you'," he reported to Joe. "And something else, like 'You'll regret this' or 'You won't forget me'. It's hard to tell."

Suddenly, just like before, the crash of something heavy falling on the roof made the car bounce. The camera on the hood skittered but did not fall off.

"Shit!" Joe exclaimed. "The recorder fell!" He scrambled out of Frank's lap. The ghost was gone, so he exited the car quickly and dashed to the rear.

Frank scrambled out the driver's door. Despite knowing there would be no marks on the car, he was still relieved to see the smooth expanse of undamaged paint on top. He joined Joe at the back of the car. "Is it damaged?"

"I don't think so." Joe examined the little sound recorder carefully. "Fortunately, it's all solid state, so there's less to break." He manipulated the controls. "Let's play it back." They both listened carefully and flushed when they discovered that the recorder had picked up their conversation clearly. "I'll erase that later," Joe said. They continued to listen and Joe frowned. "I think there's something, but it's hard to make out. I'll have to download it and work with it on the computer. Let's check the camera."

The recording on the camera surprised them both. Nothing appeared in its image at all, even though it was pointed at exactly the right spot the whole time. One might have thought that the image was a still, until the camera jumped and the image slid when the car bounced.

"Why doesn't she show up?" Joe wondered. "She was there. We both saw her."

Frank rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe she's only visible to the people in the car. And remember, the first recording we made of her was blurry. The image only became clear at the end."

"That's true." Joe studied the camera for a moment more and then switched it off. "I'm going to download the video anyway. Maybe I can pull something off."

Frank nodded. "There's one thing I'm really sure about now, though."

"What's that?"

"I think Angela Wilson died between 9pm and 10pm on the night of April 1st. This is the second time she's fallen on our car and it's just after 9:30pm right now. The first time it happened it was about 9:30pm. All the other times we saw her, it was earlier than that. The one time we were here after 10pm, we didn't see her at all."

Joe slowly nodded, glancing around the clearing. "So if she died here, what happened to her body?"

"That's what we need to find out," Frank said. "Maybe that's why she's appearing. So someone will find her."


	8. Faithfulness

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 8: **Faithfulness**

On Monday morning, Lindsey was waiting by the parking lot when Frank and Joe pulled in. She had a look on her face that some people might have called hopeful. Frank thought she looked calculating.

"Frank!" she called as he got out of the car, "I was hoping to run into you."

"It looks like you were waiting for me," Frank replied.

"Well," she smiled sweetly, "I thought maybe we should talk about our little falling out."

"Falling out?" He exchanged a brief look with Joe. "I thought we broke up."

Joe lifted an eyebrow at him as he shouldered his backpack. "I'll see you later, Frank," he said. He walked off without acknowledging Lindsey. Frank half expected her to react. Lindsey hated being ignored, but instead she tossed her long hair over one shoulder and held out her hand.

"It was just a little fight," she said.

Frank slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked past her without taking her hand. "You told Karen Greenwood that I was a lousy fuck."

"I was just mad!" Lindsey said hastily. She fell into step with him. "You know how girls get when they're talking catty about their boyfriends. I didn't mean anything by it. Anyway, I'm over it now, so I thought maybe we could kiss and make up." She stressed the word kiss and grinned at him seductively. "We could go back up to Lovers Lane."

Frank glanced down at her. "And park under that tree again?"

Lindsey shuddered. "Oh, no! I'm never going near there again! That ghost could have done something horrible to us!"

"I doubt it," Frank replied. "But it doesn't matter. I'm not interested."

"What?" Lindsey stopped dead, but Frank kept walking.

"I'm ok with the way things are."

Lindsey ran after him and caught his arm. "What are you talking about?"

"Maybe you're over your little snit, but I'm not." Frank pulled his arm free. "Let's just leave it at that, ok?"

Lindsey stopped again, staring after him in shock. "Are you dumping me?!"

"I thought we already broke up," Frank replied without looking back.

"You fucking asshole!" Lindsey screamed after him. "You're damn right I'm dumping you! You're a complete jerk and your dick is tiny!" All around them, kids on their way into the building stopped and stared. Many started giggling.

Normally, Frank would have ignored her and kept walking, but the barb was annoying. He swung around and faced her. "Maybe my dick would have felt bigger if you weren't so loose from frequent use."

Lindsey goggled and her mouth fell open.

"Or maybe it's just that you never really got me all that hard."

The giggles around them exploded into laughter and Lindsey turned beet red. Frank wondered if she was going to cry. For a moment, he felt guilty. Publicly humiliating someone was out of character for him. But then he thought about Joe and the feeling passed. Lindsey was not a nice girl. Shouting such a thing at him in front of people was hardly the way to go about mending a relationship, if that's what she really intended. He suspected she had been fishing for a way to break up with him more publicly all along, rather than leave everyone with the impression that he had dumped her. He turned around and continued into the building without another word.

"Well, this day's off to a great start," he muttered.

At his locker, Chet appeared at his elbow. "Wow, Frank! That was some scene!"

"Tell me about it." Frank jammed his history textbook into his locker. He wouldn't need it until the afternoon. "I shouldn't have let her get to me, though."

Chet shrugged. "Maybe, but she really pushed it."

"I guess."

"So it looks like you're single again." Chet chuckled. "I get the impression you prefer it that way." He lifted his eyebrows at Frank and Frank smiled ruefully.

"Maybe I do." He closed his locker. "When I'm wrapped up in an investigation, I don't want to stop in the middle to spend six hours at the mall looking at clothes. A better girlfriend might have recognized that and rolled with it, but Lindsey would just whine at me."

Chet shook his head and regarded Frank knowingly. "You were just never into her, were you?"

Frank sighed. "No, not really."

"So I guess there really is more to a girl than whether or not she puts out." Chet sighed theatrically. "But I'll never know! I still can't get any girl to go out with me."

"You're just asking the wrong girls," Frank advised. "Pick a girl you're friends with and invite her to a movie. Then let things grow from there. You never know." They started down the hall, weaving their way through the crowds.

"Are you and Joe still investigating that ghost?" Chet asked.

"Yeah."

"Is it really a ghost?"

"Looks like it."

"No shit!" Chet stared at him until he collided with another student.

"Watch it!" the girl snapped irritably.

"Sorry!" Chet called after her. He turned back to Frank. "Man, that's incredible! Do you know who it is? Or was?"

"Possibly," Frank hedged. He glanced quickly at Chet. "I'd rather not say more while the investigation is ongoing."

"Sure, sure!" Chet waved it away. "No problem. But you gotta tell me all about it when you're done."

"I sure will." Frank stopped outside the door to his first period class. "This is me. See you at lunch?"

"Absolutely!" Chet hurried off down the hall. "Later!"

Frank entered the classroom. Unfortunately, he shared his first period class with Lindsey and she was already there, surrounded by a group of girls. They all stared at him when he came in, except for Lindsey, who lifted her nose and looked away. But he didn't have time to think about it, because someone dropped an arm around his shoulders before he reached his seat on the far side of the room.

"Nice comeback earlier," a burly young man with a football player's build grunted in his ear.

"Thanks, Jerry." Frank shoved the boy's arm off his shoulder. "Do you mind?"

"Yeah, whatever." Jerry leaned on his desk as Frank sat down. "I'm glad somebody finally said something to her. I went out with that bitch for months, thinking we were all lovey-dovey and stuff, and then I find out she's fucking like five other guys on the team. And when I confronted her about it, she pulled that tiny dick shit on me, too. Said she needed the other guys 'cause I wasn't satisfying her." Jerry snorted in Lindsey's direction. "But everybody blamed me when we broke up. She's good at twisting things around." The bell rang and Jerry jumped. "So anyway, good job!" He scurried to his seat and squeezed into it.

Frank thought about what Jerry said as the teacher started her lecture. He hadn't realized that Lindsey had burned other guys. Even though he'd been aware of her reputation as an easy lay when they started going out, he had just assumed it was because she put out for her boyfriends, not that she two-timed and slept around. She always seemed to have a steady boyfriend. But obviously, the boyfriend was just a cover to protect her reputation, and possibly to attract other guys eager to make it with another guy's girl. He frowned and wished he had never gotten involved with her. But of course, it didn't matter now. He was done with her and he had Joe.

Thinking about Joe made his body grow warm. They had not had the chance to do it again since Saturday and Frank wanted him. Indeed, if he'd had his way, they would be doing it every night. He felt guilty for thinking it, but it was the truth. Making love with Joe was the best thing that ever happened to him. It felt good to be with him. He sighed. It was going to be a long day.

He met Chet at lunchtime, as promised, but was delighted when Joe also joined them.

Joe was grinning when he dropped down into the seat beside him. "I heard about what you said to Lindsey this morning," he said immediately.

Frank groaned. "You did?"

"It's all over campus," Joe said, his grin widening. "You'll be happy to know that current sentiment puts you as the aggrieved party."

"Really?"

"Yup." Joe got his sandwich out of his lunch bag. "The general agreement seems to be that Lindsey's a ball-buster and guys are better off not getting involved with her."

Frank laughed. "She'll land on her feet. Guys are too horny to pass up a girl as easy as she is."

"Probably." Joe bit into his sandwich. "Hey, Chet. You dating yet?"

"Hey!" Chet exclaimed. "Don't tease me! I'm sensitive."

"Sensitive guys get the girls," Joe said. "Keep working that angle."

"Hah!" Chet snorted. "Girls either want hot guys like you or bad boys like the tattoo brothers over there." He nodded at a group of guys who were in fact not related, but shared a passion for body art. "I'm going to die a virgin."

"You should go for Lindsey," Joe said with a sly smile. "She'd probably think it was funny to do Frank's best friend. Use a condom, though. I hate to think what's probably growing in her snatch."

Frank blinked in surprise at Joe. He had the impression that his brother was actually jealous of Lindsey. But rather than let his dismay show, he punched Chet's arm lightly. "Joe's right. Girls like sensitive guys. Show up at a poetry reading or something."

"Poetry?" Chet made a face. "I think I'd rather stay a virgin." He suddenly started and looked at his watch. "Oh, shit! I'm supposed to be in the journalism room! I'll see you later, 'k?" He leaped up and dashed off without waiting for a response.

When he was gone, Frank turned to Joe. "What's up, little brother? That was pretty harsh what you said about Lindsey just now."

Joe looked down. "I guess I never really thought about it before that you've been with her." He shifted uncomfortably. "Now that we've…" He paused and looked around. "I just don't like the fact that someone else knows what it's like to have you."

Frank sighed as he studied Joe's profile. Joe's handsome face wore an unhappy expression, his lower lip pulled in and captured by his teeth. Frank wanted to cup Joe's face in his hands and coax that lip back out with soft kisses. He cleared his throat and looked away. Staring at Joe was not a good idea. "I wish I'd never gotten involved with her," he said softly. "If I had been listening to my feelings all along, I would have known that you were the one I wanted to be with."

Joe looked up. "Really?"

The soft uncertainty in that question tugged at Frank's heart, but the middle of school was not the place to make an earnest declaration of love to his younger brother. He leaned over and whispered in Joe's ear. "When we get home, I'll show you."

Joe shivered at the promise and his eyes widened. "Ok," he whispered. He reached for the remains of his lunch. "We should finish eating. Lunch is almost over."

Frank picked up his apple without a word. He head was already full of what he would do to Joe when they got home. He just hoped no one was there.

-o-o-o-

They were out of luck. Both their parents' cars were in the driveway. Frank had to park in the street.

"Why do you suppose Dad's here?" Joe asked worriedly. "Shouldn't he be at work?"

Frank nodded silently. He should have been. They entered the house apprehensively, but inside they found their parents talking calmly in the kitchen.

"…and the box marked 'Mom's Things'," Laura was saying as they entered. "I think that's it." She glanced at them as they entered and smiled. "Oh, is school out already?"

Frank had to suppress a sharp retort. He and Joe had been coming home from school at the same time for years. Was she forgetting her role as their mother already? "Yes," was all he said.

"What's up?" Joe asked. His question was directed mostly at Fenton and Frank heard the concern in his voice. He wondered if either of their parents did.

"Your mother asked me to come home and get some things off of the storage shelf in the garage for her," Fenton replied calmly. "It's good you're here. You can help me pack her car."

"Oh!" Laura exclaimed. "You can just put the boxes in the driveway. Eleanor is coming by to pick me up."

"Why?" Fenton snapped. "What's wrong with your car?"

"Well, I thought…" Laura swallowed. "I thought I'd leave it."

"It's your car!" Fenton cut in harshly.

Laura twisted her hands together uncomfortably. "But, you bought it."

"I bought it for you!" Fenton shouted. "Take the goddamn car!" He stormed out of the kitchen and into the garage, slamming the door so hard the house shook.

Laura bit her lip. "I guess I didn't handle that well," she murmured.

"Why wouldn't you take your car?" Frank asked, frowning at her. "He got you that car for your anniversary."

"You really wanted it," Joe added almost accusingly.

Laura's eyes got bright and she blinked back tears. "I know. It's just…" she trailed off and stared at them helplessly.

"Just take the car, Mom," Frank said flatly.

Laura dropped her eyes and nodded, her lips pinched together. Then she took a deep breath. "I'll, uh, be moving to Portland."

"Why Portland?" Frank knew the answer, but he asked anyway.

"Barry's family moved to Portland a few years ago," she said. Frank wondered if she realized she had never told them her lover's name before. "He's been meaning to join them and we thought this would be for the best."

"Make a clean break, huh?" Joe said. He didn't sound angry. He sounded abandoned and hurt. Reflexively, Frank put an arm around his shoulders.

Laura flinched away from him. "I'm sorry," she said, folding her arms across her stomach. "I had meant to stay until after you both graduated, but once your dad asked me to move out, it just seemed like the best thing to do."

"I agree," Frank said coldly. "We're gonna go help Dad." He pulled Joe out of the kitchen, but in the hallway, he embraced him. "Hang on, Joe," he murmured into his brother's ear. "Once she's gone, Dad will go back to the office and we'll have the house to ourselves."

"Yeah," Joe whispered. He returned Frank's embrace for a long moment and then pushed away. "Let's go help Dad. The sooner we get this over with the better."

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a tight fit, but they managed to get all of Laura's boxes and the last of her suitcases into her Lexus. Laura had called her friend Eleanor when it looked like they would be able to fit everything and told her not to show up, which Joe thought was a little foolish. It would have made more sense to utilize Eleanor's car as well, but he really didn't care. He just wanted Laura to go so there would be an end to it. Looking at her was painful.

But now it was finished and the three of them watched her climb into her car in silence. No one said goodbye, nor did Laura wave as she backed out of the driveway. She just left.

When her car was out of sight, Fenton let out a long, deep sigh. "So that's how a marriage ends, I guess." He ran the fingers of both hands through his hair.

Frank grasped his arm and squeezed gently. "Are you going back to work?"

"I'd rather get drunk," Fenton said.

"Dad…"

Fenton shook his head and grinned at them humorlessly. "Don't worry, I'm going back to the office. I've got a client coming in this evening. You probably shouldn't wait up. This will probably turn into a dinner meeting."

"Ok."

Fenton trudged to his car and climbed in. He waved and gave them a crooked smile as he backed out and the boys waved back. When he was gone, they re-entered the house through the garage door and closed it.

Back inside the house, Frank took Joe's hand. "How do you feel?"

"Like fucking," Joe replied. "This whole thing really sucks. I feel sorry for Dad and I feel sorry for us. I feel like we've been gutted and none of us did anything wrong." He felt tears stinging his eyes. "I don't want to cry, but every time I think about her wanting out of our family…" He stopped as a sob choked his throat and he put his arms around Frank's neck. "So all I want right now is you," he finished.

Frank held him close. "That's exactly how I feel, too." They went upstairs together and entered Frank's room. "Let's leave the door open. That way we'll be sure to hear it if anyone comes in."

"Ok."

Joe started stripping out of his clothes, but Frank stopped him. "Let me do that," he said quietly.

Joe dropped his hands and let Frank undress him. There wasn't anything particular sensuous about the way he did it, but it nevertheless began to excite Joe. When his chest was bare, Frank put his hands on Joe's waist and slid them slowly up his sides. The feel of his warm hands sliding over his skin, made Joe tremble. It was clearly a caress and a soft sigh escaped his lips. Frank slid his hands back down to Joe's waist and unbuckled his belt. Then he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, pulling the fly open. Joe's erection bulged out, barely contained by his boxers. Frank brushed the back of his fingers against it.

"Excited already?"

"Yes," Joe breathed.

Frank dropped to one knee to pull Joe's jeans down, but he paused with them still around his thighs to take off Joe's shoes and socks. While he was doing that, he pressed his lips to the material of Joe's boxers.

"Frank…" Joe whispered. The soft touch of his brother's lips hardened his erection even more.

Frank looked up at him with a half-smile. "Do you want me to?"

Joe nodded quickly, afraid to voice his desire aloud. Was it any worse to want a blow job from your brother than a butt-fucking? It seemed like a moot point.

Frank took his jeans off first and then pulled Joe's boxers down far enough to free his member. He stroked it with his fingers. "Keep in mind that this is my first time doing this. You may have to tell me what to do." Then he took Joe in his mouth and Joe closed his eyes with a gasp of pleasure. Frank might have been inexperienced, but he recognized instinctively what would feel good to a guy. Plus, he knew Joe's responses and adjusted what he was doing based on Joe's gasps and moans. It was sensational and Joe tangled his fingers in Frank's hair, panting and moaning aloud. His orgasm stunned him and for a moment he thought his shaking legs would not hold him up. But when he finished, Frank leaned back with a smile, wiping the corners of his mouth with his fingertips. "It looks like I didn't do too badly."

"That was great!" Joe rasped. He stumbled to the bed and sank down. "Do you want me to reciprocate?"

"No." Frank stood up and started stripping. "I want you to turn over and stick your butt in the air. You said something the other day about getting it from behind with lube. I want to test your theory."

Joe swallowed, excitement already starting to build in his loins again. Quickly, he slipped out of his boxers and rolled onto his knees. He dropped his chest to the bed, resting on his bent arms, and moved his knees apart to spread himself open. "Is this good?"

"Uh…" Frank groaned. "That is the hottest thing I have ever seen. Don't move." He dug in the drawer of his nightstand to get the lube and moved behind Joe. "I'm going to try to take my time, but there's this primal, animal part of me screaming 'Ram him! Ram him! Ram him!' right now."

Joe chuckled. "I like that part of you."

"Well, you're about to become really well acquainted with that part of me." Frank slid a lubed finger into him and Joe let out a deep moan. It felt really good. Since they had just done it a few days ago, he had not had time to tighten up again. His body relaxed immediately and let Frank put his finger all the way in. After just a little probing, Frank added a second finger with another thick dollop of lube. After a minute he added a third finger. "You're really ready for this," he said.

"You think?" Joe moaned. His body was on fire. His nipples ached and his cock was already dripping. "Maybe you should use something bigger now."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Frank said. He positioned himself behind Joe and rested a hand on the top of his buttocks. "I'm going in." He pushed into Joe and Joe gasped.

"Oh, yes! That's perfect! Deeper!" As Frank pushed into him, Joe began to shake. The lube didn't just let Frank get in deeper. It seemed to enhance his responsiveness. Joe clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut. "Go as deep as you want!" he cried out. "It's incredible! I want all of it!"

Frank grabbed him by the hips and began pounding into him. His hips slapped against Joe's butt, bouncing Joe back and forth, and Joe gave in completely to his lust. He was wide open and taking it deep, and his rational mind shut down as he clawed at the bed and howled with joy. Ecstasy built in him, but the blow job allowed him to hold on to his orgasm for a long time. He teetered on the brink of climax, heat and arousal making him aware of every inch of his skin. His cock throbbed, dribbling so much pre-cum the bed under him was soaked.

And then orgasm exploded, clenching his muscles so tight he couldn't make a sound. Behind him, Frank cried aloud, locked in place by Joe's spasming muscles, and Joe felt him come. Locked together by mutual climax, they held that position for the space of several heartbeats, and then Frank slumped over Joe's back, breathing hard.

"You were right," Frank wheezed. "It's a lot better with lube."

"Oh, yeah," Joe agreed.

Frank pulled out and collapsed on the bed beside him. "I'm hungry, but I don't have the energy to get up."

"Me, neither."

"We better not fall asleep, though, in case Dad comes home."

"I know."

They lay there for a moment longer while they're breathing slowed. Then Frank rolled on his side and looked at Joe. "You realize we'll be able to do this every day after school now that Mom's gone."

"I was just thinking that same thing," Joe said. He smiled at Frank. "Every cloud has a silver lining."


	9. A Body

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 9: **A Body**

Joe was irritated with himself for still being bothered about Frank's past relationship with Lindsey. Even after spending hours in bed with his brother on Monday night, he still spent half of Tuesday imagining Frank holding Lindsey in his arms and kissing her selfish mouth. It was stupid and he felt like an idiot for being jealous, but it was hard to shake the thoughts, especially since nearly everyone was still gossiping about Frank and Lindsey's extremely public breakup.

It bothered him all the more because, instead of being at school listening to the gossip, he wanted to be at home trying to analyze the audio recording they had captured on Saturday night. He had spent most of Sunday trying unsuccessfully to isolate the faint noise he was sure he could hear in the background. And since Monday ended up being a bust as far as getting any work done went, he was desperate to get back to work on it.

But then, rather incongruously in his PE class, he suddenly had an insight about an algorithm he could try that might isolate the sound he was trying to hear and he promptly forgot the nagging jealousy that had been tormenting him all day. When he met Frank at his car at the end of the day, he was smiling.

"What are you so happy about?" Frank demanded good-naturedly. "Happy to see me?"

"Always!" Joe replied cheerfully. "But in fact, I think I figured out a way to isolate that sound I think I can hear on that recording. I want to get home and try it."

"Ok." They hopped into the car and Frank started the engine. "Were people in your classes gossiping about me?"

"Like magpies."

"Sheesh! You'd think nothing else at all happened yesterday."

"Nothing did," Joe laughed. "This is a pretty small town."

"It's not that small."

When they got home, Joe went straight up to his room and jumped on his computer. He had already trimmed the audio down to the bit he wanted. Now he just needed to amplify the sound he was trying to hear while suppressing the background noise. On Sunday, he had tried suppressing individual sound waves, but had consistently ended up with nothing. His epiphany during PE had been to remember that most of the background noise on the recording was wind and wind was mostly white noise. So Joe pulled up the audio in a spectrum analyzer and applied an algorithm that was supposed to suppress white noise. After fiddling with the modulation and amplification for several minutes, he suddenly hit the right combination. The background noise dropped to a faint whisper and the other sound, which threaded through the white noise like cinnamon through a sweet roll, became clear.

It was the sound of someone sobbing.

Joe sat back and stared at the monitor while the clip played over and over. There was no mistaking it. He got up and went to Frank's room. Frank was seated at his work table, very carefully aligning the pieces of one of his models.

"Frank, come listen to this."

Frank set his tools down without a word and followed Joe back to his room. He stopped as soon as he stepped inside. Joe had left the clip playing. "That's a woman crying," he said.

"That's what I thought," Joe agreed with a nod.

"The ghost looked like she was crying."

Joe nodded again.

Frank chewed his lower lip for a moment. "So, we have the ghostly apparition of a woman's weeping face that can only be seen from the inside of a car, the sound of a woman weeping, and the physical sensation of a body falling on the car." He began to pace, his brow wrinkled. "I don't know if I mentioned this before, but Angela's car was found at her house. Her purse was on the front hall table, where her husband said she left it when she was home. This led everyone to believe she disappeared from the house. But we think she died under that tree on Lovers Lane. How did she get up there?"

"She drove," Joe promptly interjected.

"Right," Frank responded. "So how did her car get back to her house?"

Joe thought for a minute. "Janice Woollery drove it back."

"Exactly." Frank stopped and crossed his arms, facing Joe with a thoughtful expression. "Let's timeline. Sometime before 9pm, Mitch Wilson and Janice Woollery park under that tree and start making out. Angela Wilson, aware of their affair, has followed them up there. I suspect this was not the first time she's done so. She peeks in the window of the car and sees them doing it. In tears, she leans a stepladder against the trunk of the tree, climbs out on the branch, ties a rope around it, ties it around her neck, and jumps off. Perhaps she was thinking that they would see her body hanging there when they leave."

He paused and Joe took up the narrative. "But the branch can't support her weight and snaps, dropping her onto the roof of the car around 9:30pm. We still don't know how she died, but for some reason, Mitch Wilson decides to cover up her death. He has Janice help him drag the broken branch to the side of the clearing, where they partially bury it. He then sends her to find his wife's car and drive it back to the house, instructing her to leave his wife's purse on the front hall table." Joe drew a deep breath. "It would most likely be around 10:30pm by this time."

"Most likely," Frank concurred. "At this time, he disposes of his wife's body. Then he drives to the house to pick up Janice and the saw. He returns to Lovers Lane to find a tree with branches that will serve his purpose. He parks under it and waits until no one is around before sawing off the branch. He completes this task around 3am, takes his pictures and then drives Janice home before returning home himself. In the morning, he reports his wife missing."

Joe nodded slowly. "That tree would not be easy to climb in the dark. Also, locating and cutting the right branch would take time."

"Driving back and forth between his house and Lovers Lane would also take time," Frank said.

"And most of the route is too public for him to dispose of a body in such a way that it would not be found. If he dumped her in the ocean, she would have washed up somewhere by now."

"Which means he hid her body somewhere near Lovers Lane," Frank concluded. "And he probably had a couple of hours in which to do it." He scowled. "We need to go back up there and really search the area around that tree."

"Yeah," Joe said. "We can do that on Saturday."

"We have to find her, Joe," Frank continued seriously. "This has to be why she's manifesting. She wants to be found."

"We'll find her," Joe said. "And when we do, Mitch Wilson's going to jail."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

As the week progressed, the excitement about Frank and Lindsey's breakup died down, which would have been a relief had Frank had time to think about it. But he didn't because on Wednesday night, Fenton had a meltdown. Over what had started out as a relatively normal dinner, Fenton suddenly broke down in tears and began knocking back glass after glass of whiskey. Frustrated, the boys decided to leave him alone to work through it, but when they got home from school on Thursday, they found him passed out on the couch in the family room in front of a blaring television.

Frank got angry. "That's it!" he snapped, turning off the TV. "We're putting a stop to this." He stormed into the kitchen, snatched open the liquor cabinet and started dumping everything down the drain. Joe watched him in silence for a moment and then started helping. Afterward, they went through the whole house, looking for hidden liquor bottles and dumping out anything they found. It was dismaying how many bottles they found in Fenton's study.

Fenton remained unconscious through all of this and did not wake up for dinner. He was still passed out when the boys went to bed. Frank was torn between guilt for leaving him like that and anger that Fenton was in such a state. He wondered if Fenton had even gone to work that day.

In the middle of the night, Frank was awakened by the sound of Fenton banging through the house shouting. He sat up when he heard his father stumbling up the stairs. Even though he was expecting it, he still jumped when Fenton barged into his room.

"Where is it?!" Fenton demanded angrily. "What did you do with it?!"

Frank didn't have to guess what Fenton was talking about. "I dumped it!" he snapped. He threw off the covers and surged out of bed to face him. "You need to pull yourself together, Dad!"

"Goddammit!" Fenton growled. He grabbed Frank by the arms and shook him, half-lifting him off the floor. "You don't have the right!"

"Dad!" Joe shouted from the doorway. He rushed into the room and grabbed Fenton by the arm. "Stop it!"

"Did you help him?!" Fenton cried over his shoulder at Joe. "Are you judging me, too?!"

"No, Dad!" Joe tugged at Fenton's arm.

"Damn you both!" Fenton shouted. He jerked his arm back, slamming his elbow into Joe's chest and knocking him to the floor.

Stark fury flooded Frank's veins. Without thinking, he balled up his fist and punched Fenton in the face. To his complete surprise, Fenton crumpled like a rag doll, sinking to the floor in a heap. Frank immediately stepped past him to kneel by Joe. "Joe! Are you all right?!" He slipped an arm around Joe's shoulders and cradled his brother's head.

"Yeah," Joe wheezed. "I'm fine. He just knocked the wind out of me." He looked at Fenton's limp form. "Wow. You really socked him."

Frank glanced guiltily at his father. "Yeah, I sort of lost it when he hit you." He stroked his fingers through Joe's hair. "This has got to stop, but I don't know what to do."

Joe nodded and sat up. "We should put him in bed."

"Yeah."

Between them, they lifted Fenton and carried him to his room. After a brief debate, they stripped him down to his boxers and tucked him under the covers.

Another wave of guilt assailed Frank when he saw that Fenton's face around his left eye was already starting to turn purple. "Damn it!" he muttered. "He's gonna notice that in the morning."

Joe nodded and shrugged. "Maybe he had it coming." He took Frank by the arm. "Let's not worry about it right now. Let's see how he is in the morning."

But Fenton was still sleeping it off when they had to leave for school the next day and Frank felt like he was in a fog. He couldn't stop thinking about how upset Fenton had been and about his own instinctive response when it appeared Joe had been hurt. Something had to be done but Frank was at a loss. The vibration of his phone during first period startled him out of a blue funk. Between, first and second period, he checked it and was surprised to see he had missed a call from his father's secretary. Slipping into a booth in the bathroom, he called back.

"_Oh, hi, Frank! Thanks for calling me back. I know you're at school._"

"That's all right, Lisa-Marie. What's up?"

"_I'm trying to get hold of your father, He hasn't come in yet and I haven't gotten an answer on his cell or the house phone._"

"Oh." Frank bit his lip. "Dad's sick right now, Lisa-Marie."

"_Is he? He did sound kind of funny when I talked to him yesterday. Well, I'll cancel his appointments for today and reschedule them for Monday. Hopefully, he'll be better by then._"

"I hope so, too," Frank said, trying to sound casual, but he suspected Lisa-Marie knew what was going on. She was very observant. "I'll call you if it looks like he's still out of it on Monday."

"_Thanks, Frank! Talk to you later._"

The call disconnected and Frank stared at his phone in silence. Fenton's problems were going to start affecting his business if he didn't do something. He sighed and left the bathroom. It was just one more side-effect of their mother's infidelity.

When he and Joe got home that afternoon, they were both tense. Entering the house, they heard movement in the kitchen and entered hesitantly.

Fenton stood by the kitchen counter, unloading a sack of groceries. "Hi, guys." He smiled weakly. "We were out of creamer for the coffee, so I went out for some. I decided to pick up a few other things." He stared almost forlornly into the grocery bag. "It's been a long time since I was in a grocery store."

Frank decided to just confront the issue. "Did you buy more whiskey?"

Fenton closed his eyes. "No." He drew a deep breath and turned to face them. The bruise on his cheek had turned dark blue. "I…" He swallowed. "I decided I need help. I called a support group. There's a meeting tonight." His eyes filled with tears and he scrubbed a hand across them. "It's at seven, so do you mind having dinner early?"

"Of course not." Frank looked at Joe. Joe's eyes were also bright. As one, they moved to surround their father and wrap him in a tight hug. "We're proud of you, Dad," Frank said. "Whatever you need, you can count on us."

Frank clasped their enclosing arms with hands that shook slightly. "Thanks. What happened last night…"

"I'm sorry," Frank said quickly.

"No, I'm sorry." Fenton's fingertips strayed to his bruised cheek. "It was my fault." He squeezed Frank's arm. "But you knocked some sense into me. When I saw the bruise, I realized I had pushed you guys to the breaking point. That's not the kind of dad I want to be. So I looked up support groups on-line. I found one for survivors of divorce and called them." He hesitated. "I also looked up Alcoholics Anonymous. There's a meeting tomorrow night and I'm going to go to that, too."

Frank tightened his hug. "You're a good man, Dad."

"I'm working on it."

They held each other for a moment longer and then Fenton patted their arms. "I'll make dinner tonight," he said. "It's time I started pulling my weight around here."

"Ok, Dad." They left him in the kitchen and went upstairs.

Outside Frank's door, Joe paused and smiled. "I was starting to worry Dad wouldn't pull through this. I guess it was a good thing you punched his lights out."

Frank smiled back, but he shook his head ruefully. "I wish it hadn't come to that. I feel really bad. Did you see his shiner?"

"It's huge." Joe agreed, but then he shrugged. "But if that's what he needed, so be it." He caught Frank's hand and grinned. "But he'll probably be gone for a couple of hours tonight. You know what that means." He lifted his eyebrows.

Frank's smile widened. "Yes, I do. Shall I meet you in your room after dinner?"

"Absolutely." Joe leaned closer and whispered into Frank's ear. "Bring the lube."

Frank felt a surge of excitement. "Will do," he whispered back.

Dinner that night was the most relaxed meal they had had in awhile. They were even able to joke about the fact that Fenton burned the pork chops. But after the table was cleared and the dishes put in the dishwasher, Fenton put on his jacket with a heavy sigh.

Frank patted his shoulder. "It'll be all right, Dad. The people in that group have been where you are. Nobody's going to judge you."

Fenton nodded sadly. "I know. It's just…" he paused and bit his lip. "You grow up thinking a man is someone who can handle whatever life throws at him and that's been true for me up till now. I feel helpless and it's a terrible feeling."

"I bet if you say that in the meeting, you'll have a lot of people agreeing with you. And then I bet you'll get lots of good advice on how to cope with it."

"That's what group therapy is for, I guess," Fenton said with a wan smile. "Oh, well. Wish me luck." He picked up his car keys and headed for the garage door.

"Good luck, Dad," Frank and Joe said in unison.

When the garage door closed behind him, Joe looped his arm through Frank's. "I sure hope this goes well tonight. If he has a good experience, he'll keep going back, and I think it's just what he needs."

"That and the AA meetings," Frank agreed with a nod. He smiled at Joe. "Shall we go upstairs?"

"Yes!" Joe immediately turned for the stairs and led the way up. Frank stopped at his room to get the lube before following Joe to his. Joe was already slipping out of his jeans. "Should we go up to Lovers Lane tomorrow and look around some more?"

"Yes," Frank said. "I want to look for her body. I just don't think Mitch Wilson had time to move it very far, especially since he was concerned about hiding it. It's got to be somewhere near that tree."

Joe nodded. "I agree." He finished undressing and sat down on the edge of his bed. "Frank, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Did you like doing it with Lindsey?"

Frank stopped in the act of pulling his t-shirt off over his head. The question caught him completely off guard. He looked at Joe. His brother's expression was earnest and faintly embarrassed. Frank took off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. "Not really." He thought seriously about his feelings for Lindsey and tried to articulate it for Joe. "I could get off with her, but it was never really because she excited me. We only did it when she wanted to." He sat down beside Joe. "I should never have gone out with her. I had no real feelings for her at all, except at the end, when I really started to dislike her. But everyone seemed to think we were a great couple." He hung his head. "I guess even I can succumb to peer pressure."

Joe's uncertainty turned to a hesitant smile. "But it's different with me?"

"Oh, yes!" Frank nodded decisively. "Just looking at you turns me on. Touching you makes me lose control." He put his arms around Joe and leaned close. "And kissing you," he said in a low purr, "is absolutely fantastic." He kissed Joe deeply. Joe responded at once, opening his mouth so their tongues could stroke against each other. They kissed for a long time and when they parted, Frank looked into Joe's eyes. "I didn't even realize I'd never been in love with anyone until I fell in love with you," he said. "Now you're the only one I want."

Joe's face blossomed into a beautiful smile. "That's just how I feel," he said. "So I guess it's all right that I can't stop wanting to do it with you all the time."

"It better be all right," Frank replied, "because I can't stop wanting to do it with you all the time either." He kissed Joe again, pushing him down onto the bed, his hands already exploring Joe's body eagerly. Joe moaned against his lips, his growing excitement pressing against Frank's side. Aroused and happy, Frank let desire push all other thoughts from his mind. As long as he and Joe were together, everything would ultimately be all right.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The next morning over breakfast, Fenton told them a little bit about his meeting. The group consisted entirely of divorced people, including the moderator. There were both men and women in the group, but the one thing they shared in common was a deep sense of hurt and loss over the dissolution of their marriages, which for many had turned to a desperate anger. A few of the members, like Fenton, had turned to alcohol. He had learned that two of his groupmates went to the same AA meetings on Saturday nights that he was planning to join. They had commended him for his plans to attend. The encouragement had Fenton feeling more positively about himself than he had in a long time.

Joe could hear the excitement in his voice as he talked, and he exchanged a small smile with Frank. "I'm really glad you had a good meeting last night, Dad. You're gonna keep going, right?"

"Yes." Fenton nodded firmly. "I never realized how freeing it is to just talk about it." He rubbed the top of his head. "I wasn't the only one there who had no idea his spouse was unhappy. Hearing their stories helped put it in perspective for me. To be honest, it's got me looking forward to the meeting tonight. I'm starting to realize that I just don't know how to deal with these feelings of helplessness and anger and I was just trying to drink them away."

"Just admitting that means you're on the path to recovery, Dad," Frank said. "Now you just have to keep going forward."

"It won't be easy," Fenton admitted, "especially when I have to start dealing with the legalities. It's going to bring it all back."

"That's what a good support system is for," Joe said. "Get names of people to call when you need to talk it out. They'll help you."

"And don't forget about us," Frank added. "If all you want to do is rant for an hour, we'll listen."

"Thanks, guys." Fenton smiled, looking genuinely relaxed and happy. "I think I'm going to be all right. Just give me some time to get my feet back under me." He downed the last of his coffee. "Well, I'm going into the office today. My bender really messed up my schedule. I've got a bunch of paperwork I need to plow through."

"We'll probably be out most of the day ourselves," Frank said. "We've got some sleuthing to do."

"All right. I'll see you at dinner."

When Fenton was gone, Joe heaved a relieved sigh. "Maybe things will start getting back to normal now."

"As normal as it can be with me banging your ass every night?"

Joe chuckled. "Yeah, a new kind of normal."

Before leaving, they checked the investigation kit in Frank's car to make sure it had all the supplies they needed and then they set out for Lovers Lane. The gravel road was deserted during the day. They didn't pass a single car on their way to the haunted oak. They parked in their usual spot and Frank got the kit out. He gave Joe a pair of latex gloves.

Joe tucked the gloves in his pocket. "Where do you want to start?"

"Let's start in back of the tree and work our way into the woods," Frank said. "He might have driven her farther down the road, but somehow I doubt it. As hard as her ghost body hit my car, I think he would have had enough damage on his that he would have been reluctant to drive it in case it broke down somewhere."

"Ok." Joe plunged into the woods beyond the oak tree with Frank beside him, but after awhile they separated. Searching for a hidden body was slow work, even when its disposal was recent. Angela's body had been hidden months before, so traces on the ground might have been obliterated by the elements or wildlife. Actually burying her would probably have been out of the question, so Joe searched for gullies or undercut creek beds where a body could be stuffed below a bank. Working his way down one shallow creek, he came to a spot by a fallen log where some creature digging for grubs had churned up the soil and scattered scraps of stringy brown moss.

Joe paused. There was something about the moss that bothered him. It looked like something he would expect to see growing in a tree, not on the ground. He squatted down and fingered the moss. The strands were dry and brittle, like overheated hair. Joe's eyes widened. Reaching into his pocket, he got out his latex gloves and put them on. Then he carefully broke away the rotting tree trunk, exposing the area where the animal had been digging. A curve of white with parchment like scraps stuck to it came into view, along with more pale brown strands.

"Frank!" Joe called. "I found her!" He broke away a little more of the trunk while he waited for Frank to join him. By the time Frank arrived, he had exposed what was obviously the back of a human skull.

Frank squatted down next to him. "Good job, little brother." Then he frowned. "What color would you say that hair is?"

"Light brown."

Frank looked at Joe. "Angela was a brunette."

They both stared down at the mouse-brown hair straggling from the skull under the tree trunk.

"That's not Angela," Joe said.

"Maybe Janice Woollery didn't leave with Mitch Wilson after all," Frank said grimly. He pulled his phone from his pocket. "Sheriff? It's Frank Hardy. You need to come up to Lovers Lane. And bring the coroner. Joe and I found a body."


	10. Puzzle Pieces

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 10: **Puzzle Pieces**

"You two are better than cadaver dogs," Tom Becker said as he squatted down beside the partially exposed body. "What's this make? The third body you've found for me?"

"Something like that," Frank replied grimly. "The thing is, Sheriff, Joe and I don't think this is Angela Wilson. She had dark hair."

Tom fingered the wispy strands. "You're right," he said. "I've got some hair samples from Angela's brush that we collected during the investigation, just in case we needed to identify a body later. This stuff's too light." He stood up. "Don't touch anything else. I sent for the forensic people from the state troopers' office after you called me." He put his hands on his hips and looked around. "I still can't believe you found this."

"Don't blame yourself, Sheriff. You weren't looking here," Frank said. "And if this isn't Angela, chances are the body wasn't here when you were looking."

"True." Tom pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I don't want to jump to conclusions until we get some DNA results back, but I can guess you think this is Janice Woollery."

Frank nodded. "The location and decomposition of the body don't point to too many other people."

"Yeah," Tom agreed with a nod. "Nevertheless, we'll let the forensics people tell us who she is anyway. Rose!"

The young deputy jumped at the sound of her name. She had sidled up next to Joe, presumably to look over his shoulder at the body. "Yes, Sheriff?"

"Take your cruiser and head back down to the highway. The forensics team may not know the way up here."

"Right away, Sheriff!" Rose hurried off and Joe heaved a sigh of relief.

Frank moved closer to him so he could whisper in his ear. "Was she feeling you up? I couldn't see both of her hands."

Joe rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly.

Tom turned to his other deputy, a man who had been hired just a few months before Rose. "Corbin, get some police tape and cordon this area off."

"Yes, sir." Corbin glared suspiciously at Frank and Joe for a moment before heading to Tom's car.

Tom scratched his head. "I'm not sure how I'm going to explain why you two were looking for a body back here. That ghost story is a little far-fetched."

"No one needs to know about that part," Frank said.

"Maybe not," Tom answered. "But if that does turn out to be Janice Woollery, it's going to seem mighty lucky that you found her."

"It was an accident," Joe immediately spoke up. "We were looking for Angela. Finding this body was just a fortuitous accident. We'll have to keep searching the area."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Corbin returned with the police tape and several stakes, and Tom went to help him set it up. Frank and Joe moved out of the way so they would not be inside the cordon.

"That has to be Janice," Joe said in a low voice. "Do you think Mitch Wilson killed her, too?"

"He must have," Frank replied in an equally low tone.

"But why?"

"Maybe she couldn't take being an accessory to murder and Mitch killed her to keep her from confessing."

Joe nodded. "That's reasonable. But why put her here?"

"The police had already searched up here looking for Angela. Even if they searched this area again, they would most likely search in the vicinity of where his contrived evidence indicated his car was parked, and we're pretty far from there."

"Makes sense." Joe watched Corbin and the sheriff, chewing on his lip. "If that is Janice, it should be enough evidence to bring Wilson back for questioning."

"It should be," Frank agreed. "But I still want to find Angela's body. If forensics doesn't find anything to tie Wilson to this body, Tom won't be able to hold him. But if Angela's remains are found up here after Wilson admitted he was here, that should be enough circumstantial evidence to hold him for a little while."

"But maybe not enough to charge him," Joe said.

"Maybe not." Frank sighed. "I'm going to completely hate it if he gets away with this."

"We have to make sure he doesn't."

The coroner arrived at the same time as the three forensics people, her medical bag in one hand and a body bag over her shoulder. Dr. Noelle Chambers had been the coroner in Bayport for less than a year. She had applied for the position after spending a few years in the morgue in a large city, when the previous Bayport coroner resigned after thirty-five years on the job. Frank liked Dr. Chambers. She never treated him like a meddlesome teenager.

"What have you got for me, Tom?" Dr. Chambers said, ducking under the cordon after handing the body bag to Rose.

"Dead body under a log. It's unlikely it got there on its own."

Dr. Chambers squatted down by the exposed skull as she pulled on her gloves and looked it over critically. "Not likely," she said.

Frank and Joe watched in silence while Dr. Chambers and the forensics team went over the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. After searching around the log methodically, they had everyone join in to help lift the log and tip it away from the body. Then Dr. Chambers and the leader of the forensics team, a gray-haired woman with steely eyes named Dr. Ribisi, shooed them all out of the way so they could examine the body. When they were finished, Dr. Chambers directed Corbin and Rose to put the body in the body bag. Then she walked over to where Tom was waiting with Frank and Joe, pulling off her gloves as she approached.

"The body is definitely female," Dr. Chambers said. "I'd estimate it's been there for three to four months. My preliminary guess is she died from blunt force trauma to the head. There's a good-sized bash in the side of her skull. But I'll need to examine the body for other damage to be sure."

Frank looked at Joe and nodded. "Will you be able to use dental records?"

"Should be able to," Dr. Chambers said. "Her teeth are intact. Hopefully, she's a local and had work done in town." She looked at Tom. "Do you think it's that woman who went missing back in April?"

"Might be," Tom said noncommittally. "I've got some hair samples from the missing woman. We should do DNA tests as well as checking dental records."

Dr. Chambers nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. Dr. Ribisi already asked about getting some hair and tissue samples when I do the autopsy."

"Dr. Chambers," Frank said. "When you examine the body, could you look for ligature marks around the neck?"

"You think she might have been strangled?"

Frank shrugged. "No, but I would like to eliminate the possibility."

Dr. Chambers squinted at him. "You know something you're not telling me," she accused.

"I don't want to influence your examination, Doctor," Frank said with a smile.

"Hm." She continued to study him. "You better tell me what this is about later."

"I will."

Dr. Ribisi's two assistants helped Rose and Corbin carry the body back to the coroner's van, and she came over to where the others were waiting. "DNA tests on the hair and tissue samples will take a few days, Sheriff," she told Tom. "Dr. Chambers said you have a missing person this might be, so I'd appreciate any information you might have about her."

"Fortunately, I collected hair samples when we searched her house," Tom replied. "You can pick them up after you stop by the morgue."

"Good. Of course, if we don't get a match, you'll have some work to do."

Tom scratched his head. "We don't have a lot of unsolved cases here in Bayport. I think we'll figure it out." He glanced at Frank as he spoke. Obviously, he didn't want to say that he already had a good idea who the body was.

Frank, Joe and Tom brought up the rear as the group returned to where their vehicles were parked. Frank's car was blocked in, so the boys had to wait until everyone else had pulled out before they could leave.

As they drove back down to the highway, Joe turned sideways in the seat so he could look at Frank. "Dr. Chambers said the body might have been there three or four months."

"Yeah," Frank nodded.

"That coincides with the beginning of the ghost sightings."

Frank nodded again without comment.

"Angela was probably already dead three months by then."

"It's possible no one saw her ghost before then because it was still early in the year for making out," Frank said, his tone half-amused and half-speculative.

"People make out up here year-round," Joe pointed out. "It's supposed to be quite romantic in winter with snow on the ground." He drummed his fingers on his knee. "I don't get it. That body should have been Angela's. Could being buried in the ground have lightened her hair?"

"I don't know," Frank shrugged. "We'll just have to wait for the DNA tests."

When they got home, Frank pushed the button on the garage door remote clipped to the sun visor above his head as he turned into the driveway. He grinned at Joe. "I know it sounds bad, but I like being able to park in the garage now that Mom's gone. It will be so much easier going to school later when winter sets in."

"Yeah," Joe agreed, but his answering grin faltered. "Uh oh." The door into the house opened and Fenton stepped out to watch them park. "I wonder what he wants."

Fenton lifted his eyebrows at them as they got out of the car. "I think maybe it's time you boys told me about your investigation," he said. He looked curious and excited, like he used to do when they got involved in something interesting.

"Have you been listening to the police scanner again, Dad?" Frank asked.

Fenton grinned. "I've let myself get out of touch. Listening to the scanner is a good way to pick up on the town's vibe. But I admit I was pretty surprised when I heard the sheriff was going up to Lovers Lane to check on a report of a body. I figured it had to be you guys." He tipped his head toward the house. "Why don't we discuss it over a glass of lemonade?" They followed him into the kitchen and he took a pitcher of lemonade out of the refrigerator. "It's frozen concentrate, I'm afraid. I have no idea where your Mom keeps the juicer."

Joe snorted. "Mom hasn't juiced a lemon in years, Dad. She used the frozen stuff, too."

"No kidding?" Fenton smirked. "I guess that explains why it tastes the same."

Joe got glasses and the three of them sat down at the kitchen table.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Fenton said.

"All right," Frank replied. "We started out investigating a ghost sighting up on Lovers Lane."

"A ghost?"

"That's right," Frank nodded. "Several people reported seeing a ghost at this one particular spot up there, so Joe and I have been going up there to investigate."

Fenton leaned forward excitedly. "Was it really a ghost?"

"Yup. We think we know who it is, or was, too. A woman named Angela Wilson, who disappeared back in April. We think her husband had something to do with her death. He was having an affair at the time."

"So it was her body you found?"

"Well, that's just it." Frank frowned and looked at Joe. "We're not sure it was. The hair color is wrong."

Joe spoke up. "We think it might be the husband's lover. She supposedly moved away with him, but she was his alibi in his wife's disappearance."

"I see." Fenton nodded thoughtfully. "So it sounds like you've still got some loose ends to wrap up."

"It looks that way," Frank replied. "Once the DNA tests come back, we'll know if it's Angela or not. If it's not, we're going to have to keep looking for her body."

Fenton ran a hand across the top of his head. "I should have been more help to you boys on this one."

"That's ok, Dad," Frank said, glancing quickly at Joe. "Quite honestly, it's been a welcome distraction from what was going on between you and Mom. "

Fenton made a face. "That's something, I guess." He finished his lemonade. "Well, I've got that AA meeting tonight, but it's not until 8pm. I can leave after dinner. I've got a little more paperwork I want to wrap up before then, so I'll be in my study, if one of you doesn't mind cooking."

"That's fine, Dad," Joe said. "I'll cook."

"Great." Fenton stood up and clapped a hand on Frank's shoulder. "Thanks for filling me in. I kind of wish I'd seen that ghost, though. That's something I've never had come up in any of my cases." He put his glass in the dishwasher and headed for his study.

"That wasn't too bad," Joe said. "He didn't ask very many questions."

"Thank goodness," Frank agreed with a nod. "Did you notice? He put his glass in the dishwasher instead of the sink."

"Yeah, I did notice," Joe chuckled. "How many times did Mom complain about that? And now he does it without being asked."

"In his defense, Mom was very particular about how the dishwasher should be loaded."

"Yeah," Joe said. "But then she'd complain if we didn't put the dishes in. The more I think about it, the more it seems like she was looking for excuses to be irritated with us. I think we're all going to be better off."

"It's too bad, really," Frank said with a loud sigh. "If she'd just been honest with us, or at least with Dad, about her feelings, things might not have gone this far. Do you suppose she's more open with that Barry guy?"

Joe's forehead wrinkled. "You know, I suspect she isn't. She's been keeping herself to herself for so long, I wonder if she even knows how to really share with someone. I bet she didn't even tell her friend Eleanor the whole truth."

"Maybe not." Frank stood up and put the half-empty pitcher of lemonade back in the refrigerator. "Do you want to go back up to Lovers Lane tonight after Dad leaves for his meeting?"

"Yes." Joe snagged their empty glasses and put them in the dishwasher. "I have some homework to do, though, so I'd better do that now since I said I'd make dinner."

"Ok."

Fenton left at 7:30 that evening to go to his AA meeting. He was obviously nervous, but he put on an optimistic face as he headed out the door. When he was gone, Frank helped Joe clear the table and load the dishwasher.

As Joe started the machine, he glanced at the clock. "It's kind of early to go up to Lovers Lane," he said. "But I'm not sure there's enough time to have sex."

Frank laughed. "Those are the two options? Sex or investigation?"

Joe grinned. "We haven't done it since last night."

"You are really randy!" Frank teased, but in truth, he had been thinking about sex himself. Even while talking with Fenton over dinner, he'd kept having little fantasies about holding onto Joe's slim hips while he banged his ass. "Well, it only takes twenty minutes to get up there, which leaves us nearly an hour if we want to be there before 9:30." He put his arms around Joe's shoulders. "So if you're not too demanding, I could probably ram you pretty good before we go."

Joe wrinkled his nose. "How romantic!"

"You want romance?" Frank leaned forward and kissed Joe very gently on the lips. "How about thirty minutes of kissing, teasing and fondling before I get to the banging?"

"I don't know!" Joe chuckled. "I'm not sure I could hold out for thirty minutes. I'm already hard."

"Already?" Frank looked down. "From one little kiss?"

"No." Joe's smile widened. "You kept looking at me during dinner and I had the distinct impression you were thinking about fucking me, which got me thinking about fucking you. My hard-on was inevitable."

"You knew I was thinking about sex?" Frank shook his head. "It's really spooky that you always seem to know what's on my mind."

Joe shrugged. "I think it's just because we know each other so well. You always seem to know what I'm feeling, too."

"I suppose I do." Frank pulled Joe close and kissed him again. "Let's go upstairs. I want to fondle your pretty bottom."

"And my perky little tits?"

"Of course!"

In Joe's bedroom, they quickly stripped out of their clothes and snuggled into bed. Frank wrapped his arms around Joe and kissed him deeply, his tongue winding around Joe's eagerly.

"Umm…" Joe moaned. "I like that," he murmured against Frank's lips.

"Me, too," Frank murmured back. They kissed for a long time, their hands exploring each other's bodies in slow, gentle caresses. After awhile, Frank shifted his attention from Joe's lips to other parts of his body, his lips and tongue savoring Joe's soft skin. Joe moaned softly as Frank licked him, his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted. His expression was aroused and sexy, and it made Frank want him even more. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to hold out," Frank teased.

"It feels so good!" Joe moaned. "I don't want you to stop!"

"Don't you want to get fucked?"

"Desperately!"

"But you can wait?" Frank flicked his tongue across one of Joe's nipples and Joe shivered.

"Not anymore!" Joe gasped. He rolled over onto his knees and stuck his butt up in the air. "Do I need to be more submissive?"

Frank chuckled. "That's submissive enough, thank you." They'd left the lube in Joe's room last night, so Frank snagged it out of the nightstand drawer and applied a liberal dose to Joe's backside. Then he positioned himself. "I'm going in."

Joe lifted his hips suggestively.

Smiling, Frank put himself in, pushing slowly into Joe's warm interior. It felt wonderful and he sighed deeply. "Good lord, I love doing this!" he exclaimed breathlessly. "It's unbelievable how good you feel!"

"It's the same for me," Joe groaned. He clutched at the bed and gasped. "Go deeper! I want it really hard!"

"As you command, baby brother." Frank eagerly began pounding into Joe's ass and Joe took him deep. It was incredible. The powerful stimulation drove all other thoughts from Frank's mind; fucking Joe as hard as he could became his only goal. He rammed into Joe until his brother was bucking and crying out with pleasure, his whole body caught up in the wild ecstasy of imminent orgasm.

Joy slammed into them both at once and they cried out together, shaking and shuddering against each other. When it was over, Frank pulled out and they collapsed onto the bed side by side.

"Oh, yes!" Joe wheezed. "That's what I needed. You always know just what I want."

"That's easy," Frank panted. "It's the same thing I want." He stroked Joe's damp hair back from his face. "We really do seem to belong together."

"Yeah," Joe agreed with a small nod. "It does seem that way." He glanced at the clock. "We were quick. It's only 8:30. We have time to shower before we leave."

"Ok, but you go first. I don't think it would be a good idea to get in there together."

"It's too small anyway."

After quick showers, they hopped into Frank's car and drove back up to Lovers Lane. As they bumped along the gravel road, Joe frowned out the window. "It doesn't seem like there are as many people up here as usual."

"Maybe they heard about the body," Frank replied.

"That's stupid!" Joe snorted. "They came up here in droves when they knew there was a ghost up here, but they stay away after a body has been found and carted away?"

Frank shrugged. "Go figure."

They arrived at their usual spot and backed in.

Frank turned off the engine. "Do you suppose we still need to make out to attract her?"

"No," Joe said, his voice strained.

Frank turned to look at him and found himself staring straight into the ghost's pale face. "What the hell?" he whispered.

"She appeared as soon as you turned off the engine," Joe whispered back.

They stared at the ghost, stunned. The ghost gazed back, her pale face still streaked with tears, but there was something different about her expression.

Frank put his hand on Joe's knee. "She doesn't look sad," he said.

"No," Joe responded. "She looks… almost happy. But why? Was it really her body we found?"

"Her lips are moving," Frank whispered.

"She said 'Thank you'!" Joe blinked in astonishment. Then he gripped the windowsill. "What's happening?"

They both watched with wide eyes as the pale apparition changed. The edges of the face crumbled into specks of ghostly light while the center grew steadily brighter, until the ghost's eyes were shining brilliantly. Then the light slowly disappeared as the ghost closed her eyes and her lips lifted into a contented smile. The remainder of the ghostly image broke into sparkles of light, which quickly shrank and disappeared.

"She's gone!" Frank whispered hoarsely.

Joe leaned against the glass. "Do you think she was only appearing because she wanted someone to find that body?" He turned to look at Frank, his eyes damp. "But what if it's not her body? Why would she want us to find a stranger? I don't understand!"

Frank sat back, his eyes fixed on Joe's wounded face. "I think I do." He reached out and took Joe's hands in his. "Angela was trying to commit suicide. She wanted to die. She may not have cared that she ultimately died at her husband's hands. Maybe it even seemed inevitable to her. But if that body we found was Janice Woollery's, and she was killed by Mitch Wilson, maybe Angela blamed herself. If she hadn't put Janice in the position of being an accessory to her murder, Janice might not have been murdered, too."

"She didn't want Janice to disappear without a trace and be forgotten," Joe said and he slowly nodded.

"But if that's the case, I'm not going to let it rest there," Frank said firmly. "Angela may not care if she's never found, but I do." He tightened his grip on Joe's hands. "We're going to find her body, Joe. I don't care if we have to dig up this entire forest."


	11. Resolution

_**Warning**__: This chapter contains adult situations, language and mature subject matter._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 11: **Resolution**

They came straight home after the ghost disappeared, but it was hard to just go to bed. The conviction that Angela had returned from the grave only to point the way to Janice's body filled them with a determination to find her, so she too could fully rest in peace. They were still talking about it, sitting on the bed in Frank's room, when Fenton returned, brimming with excitement about his AA meeting.

"You're still up," Fenton remarked as he stopped in the doorway of Frank's room. "But I guess it isn't that late yet for a Saturday night."

"How'd the meeting go, Dad?" Frank asked.

"It was a real eye-opener," Fenton confessed, nodding slowly as he spoke. "I'm going to have to get on the phone to that divorce attorney Martin Avery recommended." He leaned against the doorframe. "People talked a lot about closure," he continued, "about how important it is to move past the issues that made us start drinking in the first place. For me," he paused briefly and tapped his chest, "that means getting the divorce finalized and being done with your mother. It sounds harsh when I say it that way, after so many years of marriage, but that's the cold truth. That part of my life isn't helping me right now, so I need to put it behind me."

"I guess it is better to just deal with it," Frank responded. Joe nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." Fenton sighed. "It's pretty late. You guys should hit the sack."

"We were just about to," Frank said.

"Ok. Good night." Fenton went to his room and neither boy spoke until they heard the door close behind him.

"I'm surprised he didn't ask us about the case," Joe said. He was glad to see their dad finally getting a handle on the mess his life had become, but it still seemed odd for him not to ask about an ongoing investigation.

"It's just as well," Frank said. "If we told him the ghost disappeared, he'd probably say it's time to drop it."

"True."

Joe slid off the bed with a sigh. "Too bad he's home. We can't have sex now." He leaned over and kissed Frank soundly. "So I guess I'll go jerk off and fantasize about you instead."

"Don't you dare!" Frank groaned. "If I hear you moaning in there, I'll just come in and pounce on you."

"Promises, promises!" Joe wiggled his hips as he walked out the door.

Frank threw a pillow after him.

But Joe didn't sleep well that night. He dreamed repeatedly about the ghost's vanishing face and finally woke up in a sweat around dawn. Sitting on the edge of his bed scrubbing his hands over his face, he was almost relieved it was Sunday. It meant tomorrow was Monday and school would keep him distracted from thinking about what might have happened up on Lovers Lane.

"You don't look rested at all."

"I'm not." Joe grimaced at Frank standing in his doorway. "I kept dreaming about the ghost."

"I did, too," Frank said. He crossed to Joe and sat down beside him. "But we really shouldn't do anything until we learn more about that body we found. We should probably just try not to think about it."

Joe nodded. "I know. I've been telling myself the same thing. But it's hard not to."

"Yeah." Frank patted his knee. "I'm going to make waffles. You want blueberries? I think there's a box of frozen ones in the freezer."

"That sounds good."

Over the next few days, while they waited to hear from the coroner or the sheriff, Joe decided that the best distraction was not school, but sex. With their mother moved out and their father not getting home from work until dinnertime, they had the whole afternoon every day to engage in pleasant, consensual activity. They used the opportunity to really explore each other and discover the depths and heights of sexual fulfillment. The days just flew by.

But on Thursday night, while they were cleaning up after dinner, someone knocked on the front door.

"I'll get it," Joe said. He was not surprised to find Sheriff Becker waiting on the porch, a grim expression on his face.

"Evening, Joe," Tom said. "Mind if I come in?"

"Of course not, Sheriff." Joe held the door for him and beckoned him inside. "Have a seat."

Tom settled on the couch in the living room as Frank and Fenton came in from the kitchen.

"Good evening, Tom," Fenton said. "What brings you over at this hour?" He settled into the easy chair opposite Tom, but Frank and Joe remained standing.

"I've got news for Frank and Joe," Tom said.

"About that body?" Frank asked immediately.

"That's right." Tom drew a breath. "We got DNA results back yesterday morning. There was no match with the hair from Angela Wilson."

"So it wasn't her," Joe said. He felt sad, but resigned. He glanced at Frank and saw a matching expression on his face.

"Nope." Tom shook his head. "But earlier this week, I had the dental impressions and X-rays Dr. Chambers made sent around to all the dentists in town. I just heard back today." He looked from Joe to Frank. "Janice Woollery. She had a tooth crowned last year and Dr. Winslow took a full set of X-rays since she was a first-time patient."

Joe sighed. "We knew it. It keeps coming back to Mitch Wilson."

"That's right," Tom said grimly. "I tried calling his cell phone number but it's out of service. He's done a disappearing act."

"He killed them both," Frank said matter-of-factly.

Tom scowled. "I never liked that guy. I'm turning this over to the state police. They've got resources that I don't for pursuing interstate fugitives. I should never have let him leave town."

"But what were you going to do without a body?" Joe asked.

Tom ran a hand through his hair. "I should have leaned on Janice. It looks now like she would have cracked if I'd pressured her. Instead, she's dead and I let a murderer get away."

"Don't blame yourself, Tom," Fenton said. "Hindsight's always 20-20."

"Yeah." Tom let out a long sigh and stood up. "Well, I have to go organize my files on this one. I want to put together as much detail as I can for the state boys." He stumped heavily for the door. "I gotta thank you guys for being so tenacious about this," he continued. "If not for you, that poor woman would have just disappeared without a trace."

"We haven't given up on finding Angela's body, Sheriff," Frank said.

Tom shook his head with another heavy sigh. "I don't have much hope about that, I'm afraid. But don't let me discourage you." He trudged out the door. "Keep in touch."

"We will."

When Tom was gone, Frank turned to Joe with a determined expression. "We're going up there first thing Saturday."

Joe nodded firmly in agreement. "Definitely."

Fenton rose and clasped them each by a shoulder. "I commend your determination, but I urge you to put a time limit on your search. If you don't find her after a certain amount of time, you may just have to accept that she can't be found."

"I understand, Dad," Frank said, "but we have to try. This is important to us." He met Joe's eyes and Joe nodded again.

"He's right, Dad," Joe put in. "Angela came back from the grave to point us to Janice's body. She must have been a very compassionate person to do that for the woman her husband betrayed her with. We're going to find her. She needs to know that she mattered to somebody."

"Hm." Fenton studied them briefly and then smiled. "Right. You boys do what you think is best. I've always trusted your judgment and that's not about to change. Let's finish cleaning up."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

On Saturday morning, in the bathroom brushing their teeth after breakfast, Frank stared into the mirror thoughtfully, apparently oblivious to the toothpaste dribbling down his chin.

Joe nudged him. "You're making a mess."

"Oh, dang!" Frank quickly leaned over the sink and spat. "Sorry! I was thinking."

"That much was obvious," Joe chuckled.

Frank swished his mouth and dried his chin on his towel. "We need to think like Mitch Wilson on this. He wouldn't want to risk driving the body anywhere, not even further up the road because tire tracks on a seldom used road would be suspicious."

Joe nodded. "But he has a couple of hours, probably, in which to hide the body. He needs to hide it because he doesn't want it to be found close to where he was that night. But the good thing about hiding it there is that once the area is searched, they aren't likely to search it again. That's undoubtedly why he decided it was safe to hide Janice's body up there."

"Right. So where do you hide a body in an area that you know is going to be searched?"

"You can't bury it," Joe stated. "The disturbed ground would be a dead giveaway, no matter how you tried to cover it up." He rubbed his chin. "A cave, sinkhole or old mine shaft are good options."

"There are a few caves in the cliff below the road," Frank said, but then he shook his head. "But that would necessitate moving the body a fair distance, some of it in plain sight." He turned around and leaned against the edge of the counter. "We're missing something. He couldn't bury the body anyway, he didn't have a shovel."

Joe's eyes opened wide. "But he had a stepladder! The one we think Angela used to get up into the tree!"

Frank returned his stare with a stunned look of his own. "And he had the rope Angela tried to hang herself with!"

"The tree!" they exclaimed together.

"Let's go!" Frank said. "We'll take our stepladder."

"Right!"

Back in the clearing off Lovers Lane later that morning, Frank got the stepladder out of the back seat while Joe walked around behind the tree.

"These old trees are frequently hollow," Joe commented absently. "Insects, animals, even the weather will cause the interior to decay because the living part of the tree is in the outer rings of the trunk." He rapped experimentally on the scaly bark. "It's hard to say with this one."

Frank joined him with the stepladder dangling from one hand. He shaded his eyes as he scanned up the trunk. "I don't see any obvious splits. I'm impressed that Wilson found anything in the dark."

"Determination," Joe replied.

Frank settled the stepladder against the trunk and stepped onto the bottom rung. They exchanged a look as the top of the ladder gouged into the trunk in the same place where they had noticed the scuff marks previously. Frank worked his way carefully up the ladder, grasping the lower branches to steady himself as he climbed onto the top, 'no-step', rung. "I think I see something." A dark crevice not visible from the ground could just be seen between two thick uprights. Carefully, he levered himself up onto a branch and climbed higher into the tree. "There's definitely an opening here," he reported to Joe. "I can't quite see into it, though." He climbed a little higher and braced himself between the uprights to get a view into the crack. "It's dark. Get me the flashlight, would you?"

"Sure." Joe went back to the car and retrieved Frank's flashlight from the glove box. He climbed up the ladder and stretched up toward Frank.

Frank shinnied down to where he was just able to grasp the flashlight with his fingertips. "Thanks." He put the flashlight in his mouth and climbed back up. When he was braced between the uprights again, he took the flashlight from his mouth and flipped it on. The bright white light of the LEDs completely illuminated the interior of the hollow, along with the bony fingers of a decomposed human hand sticking up through a mass of dark brown hair. Frank's heart sank, even though it was exactly what he expected to see. "She's here," he said.

Joe swallowed. "So we were right."

"Yeah." Frank looked around and some wisps of rope caught in the bark of a branch above his head caught his eye. "I see rope fibers up there. He must have thrown the rope over that branch so he could drag her body up the tree and get it above the crevice."

"And then he just shoved her in," Joe concluded, his voice harsh with disgust.

Frank let out a long sigh. He turned off the flashlight and shoved it in his pocket. Then he got his phone out of his other pocket. "Hi, Rose, is the sheriff in?"

"_He's out right now, Frank. He went up to River Heights to see the state police._"

"Can you patch me through? It's important."

"_Uh, sure._" Her voice was brimming with curiosity and Frank was surprised she didn't ask him what was going on. He waited, listening to the faint buzz of the line.

"_This is Sheriff Becker._"

"Sheriff, it's Frank Hardy."

"_Yeah, Rose said you needed to speak to me?_"

Frank didn't see any need to beat around the bush. "We found Angela Wilson."

"_What?_"

"Mitch Wilson stuffed her into a hollow of the tree where he was really parked that night. Joe and I realized this morning that he had the means to do this, so we decided to check. I'm looking at her right now."

"_Holy shit! One second._" Frank heard him relaying the information to someone else. After a brief conversation, Tom got back on the line. "_Frank, stay with the body for me, ok? I've just been talking with Detective Greg Benson, who's taking over the case. We'll be down there as quick as we can._"

"No problem, Sheriff. We'll be here." Frank disconnected and looked down at Joe. "He wants us to wait here. He's up in River Heights meeting with the detective who's taking over the case." Frank scrambled down out of the tree. "We should have brought lunch."

"I don't think I could eat," Joe said. He looked up at the tree. "Poor Angela."

"Yeah." Frank put his hands on Joe's shoulders. "Let's wait in the car."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Joe was not surprised when Fenton also showed up to watch as Angela's body was extracted from the tree trunk. Detective Benson from the state trooper's office, along with a couple of other troopers, the forensics team, Dr. Chambers, Sheriff Becker and Deputy Corbin were also there. Dr. Ribisi wasn't up for climbing the tree herself, but one of her assistants clambered up to retrieve samples of the rope fiber that Frank pointed out for them. He also directed them to where the same fibers could be retrieved from the tree branch at the side of the clearing.

Getting the body out of the tree was difficult, but they managed to do it without having to cut the tree open. When Angela's remains were finally resting on the body bag into which she would eventually be inserted, Joe and Frank looked down at her with almost a sense of familiarity. How many times had they seen this woman's face? Joe shivered and Frank put an arm around his shoulders.

"Sorry we took so long, Angela," Frank murmured. "Thanks for helping us find Janice."

Dr. Chambers looked up from her examination of the remains. "What's that?" She lifted her eyebrows at Frank. "What are you talking about?"

Frank glanced at Joe.

Joe shrugged and answered. "We've been seeing Angela's ghost," he replied calmly. "But the day we found Janice's body, her ghost disappeared. We think she wanted us to find Janice."

Dr. Chambers sat back on her heels. "No kidding? But her remains were here, too."

"But her ghost didn't start appearing until about the time we think Janice was killed and buried here," Joe said. He squatted down and gazed at the corpse's face. Decay made it hard to recognize her features. "We think Angela tried to commit suicide at the site of her husband's infidelity so he would know how much he hurt her, but her attempt failed and he murdered her instead. Then he hid her body in the tree and convinced Janice to help him cover it up. But then Janice started to get cold feet, so he murdered her and disappeared." He stood up. "But of course, we can't prove any of this."

From behind him, a voice said, "But that's an excellent theory."

Frank and Joe turned around to find Detective Benson behind them. "Sheriff Becker told me you broke this case open because of a ghost sighting, but I wasn't sure I believed it." He shook his head, smiling ruefully. "But honestly, I'll take the leads however I can get them." He held out his hand. "Thanks." Frank and Joe took turns shaking his hand. "Is there anything else you know that might be helpful?"

"I don't think so, Detective," Frank said. "We've given Sheriff Becker everything we had."

"Great, then I'll take it from here. Good job." Benson moved away to confer with his troopers and Dr. Ribisi.

Sheriff Becker approached them with Fenton at his side. "You boys don't have to hang around any longer, if you're ready to go. You're done a hell of a good job."

"Thanks, Sheriff." Frank glanced at Joe. "I think we're ready to leave."

"I'll see you boys back at home," Fenton.

"Sure thing, Dad."

Frank and Joe climbed into their car and Frank angled his way past all the emergency vehicles. Neither spoke as they drove down Lovers Lane to the highway. But as Frank pulled out onto the highway and picked up speed, Joe sighed.

"It feels weird to be done with this case."

"I know what you mean." Frank reached over and squeezed Joe's hand. "It's changed our lives quite a bit."

"I wonder how long it will be until Dad gets home," Joe said. "I really want to get laid right now."

"Knowing Dad, he'll stay until they wrap things up." Frank gave Joe a small smile. "So we probably have time."

"Good."

Neither of them spoke the rest of the way home, but when he pulled into the garage, Frank pushed the button on the garage door remote as he turned off the engine, closing them into darkness. Then he leaned over, wrapped his arms around Joe and kissed him deeply.

Joe responded without hesitation, but when Frank finally pulled away, he said, "We shouldn't have sex here. Dad might catch us."

"I know," Frank said, "but I really wanted to kiss you." He touched Joe's cheek. "Let's do it in my room. If we leave the door open, we'll hear Dad pull into the garage and we can bail into the bathroom if we're not finished and pretend we were showering."

"Good plan."

They went upstairs and stripped in the bathroom before moving into Frank's room.

Joe stretched out on the bed on his back and Frank lay down next to him, his head propped up on his elbow. With his free hand, he idly stroked his fingers across Joe's bare chest. "Now that everything's over, we should probably stop and think seriously about our relationship again."

"Probably." Joe stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "It's certainly reasonable to assume that witnessing our parents' breakup and coming face to face with a ghost would cause some kind of reaction, but unbridled sexual desire for each other isn't the first thing I would think of."

"Me neither," Frank chuckled.

"And it's not like we haven't been reacting to what's going on." Joe's expression darkened. "I'm still mad at Mom. I don't know if I'll ever get over that."

"I know what you mean." Frank rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling too. "But it wasn't until I kissed you that first time that I realized I wanted you. If that had never happened, would we be here right now?"

"I don't know," Joe answered slowly. "But honestly, I'm not done working through my issues, and being with you makes me feel happy and safe." Abruptly, he sat up and straddled Frank's hips. Frank felt his loins stir in response as Joe's genitals tickled his belly. "So would it be all right for now if we just let things go on as they are? We're still pretty young and we may yet outgrow our need for each other, but right now, I don't want to think about it."

Frank looked up at Joe's earnest, yearning expression and slowly smiled. "It's absolutely all right," he replied. He slid his hands up Joe's arms and pulled Joe down so he could kiss him. Joe started rubbing up and down with his hips and Frank immediately got hard. "Um…" he moaned.

Joe reached for the nightstand without pulling his lips away. After fumbling around for a moment, he retrieved the lube. "Do you want to put it in?" he mumbled against Frank's lips.

"Sure." Frank took the tube and, without looking, squirted it on his fingers and slid them into Joe.

Joe moaned softly and he shivered. "Oh, that feels good!"

"You're already soft," Frank said. He could already put two fingers in without any resistance, so he added a third and worked them in deeply.

Joe arched his back and stuck his butt up. "Oh, yes! Right there!" He continued to gasp and groan with pleasure as Frank fingered him. Then he sat up and lifted up on his knees so he could guide Frank's erection into himself. As he settled onto the hard shaft, his eyes closed and his head rolled back, and he let out a long, gasping sigh of pleasure.

Frank groaned in response as he slid into Joe. Even soft and ready, Joe's body still clasped him tightly. Frank shuddered and lifted his hips, pushing up into Joe. It felt wonderful. It was hard to imagine not wanting to do this. Frank stopped thinking about whether it was right or wrong as Joe slowly rode up and down on him. He clasped Joe's stiff member and stroked it in time with Joe's movements, eliciting delightful moans of pleasure from Joe's throat.

Joe began to move faster, bouncing up and down, his butt smashing against Frank's hips and taking him deep. He panted urgently, his mouth hanging open and his eyes squeezed shut. He was leaking freely and Frank's hand slid up and down his shaft eagerly. Joe's face and chest were flushed with arousal, his nipples erect and rosy. Frank had never seen him look sexier and the sight had him on the edge of orgasm. His own moans were nearly as loud as Joe's and his hips lifted up on their own.

"Oh, Frank!" Joe gasped. "I'm so close! It's so good!" He leaned back, changing the angle so Frank's cock would go in deeper. "Yes! Yes! Ahh!" His body began to shake and his cock exploded, showering Frank with cum.

Frank couldn't take it. He shot his load with a cry of pleasure, completely caught up in the ecstasy. Joe slumped down on his chest, little post-coital shudders rattling through him and sending answering shivers of delight through Frank.

"Oh, man, that was good," Joe groaned.

"Yeah," Frank agreed hoarsely. He wrapped his arms around Joe. "You know what? I don't care why we decided we needed each other. I want you now and that's what's important. So I'm not going to worry about it anymore."

Joe nodded, his cheek rasping against Frank's chest. "That makes sense to me," he said. He fell silent and after a moment Frank nudged him.

"Don't fall asleep. We should get in the shower so we don't smell like sex when Dad gets home."

"I know," Joe said, his voice soft. He lifted his head and looked at Frank. "What do you think Dad would do if he found out?"

"Freak," Frank replied immediately. "And he doesn't need any more stress in his life right now. So this will have to be our secret."

Joe nodded. "Right." He kissed Frank softly on the lips. "It may get tricky."

"That's all right." Frank patted Joe's bottom. "I'm willing to jump through any hoops to spend quality time with you."

"Me, too." Joe kissed him again. Then he pushed upright with a sigh and slid off of Frank. "I'll shower first." He made a face. "I have homework _again_. Mrs. Kubo thinks we're getting lazy. I thought you said she'd slack off."

Frank laughed. "Maybe it was the second semester."

"Shit!" Joe started to leave, but at the door, he turned around and regarded Frank with a serious expression. "I love you, big brother."

Frank smiled back and Joe's face blossomed into a wide smile. "I love you, too, baby brother."

-o-o- _The End_ -o-o-

_Thank you for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for the great idea, catti-dono. It may be awhile before I get back to the Hardy Boys again, but you know I will eventually._

_-MomsDarkSecret_


End file.
